Salvadoran cardinal: We are ‘citizens, not angels,’ and rely on media to know the candidates

ROME (OSV News) — As the College of Cardinals gathers for general congregations ahead of the upcoming conclave, Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez of El Salvador described a calm and fraternal atmosphere among the group — one marked not by tension, but by prayer and unity of purpose.

“We are getting to know the faces of the cardinals,” he said in a conversation with OSV News on May 3, just after leaving one of the daily meetings. “You get to know those you didn’t know before. It’s a very peaceful, fraternal, faith-filled environment.”

Cardinal Rosa Chávez, retired auxiliary bishop of San Salvador and a close collaborator of St. Óscar Romero, made history in 2017 when Pope Francis appointed him cardinal — the first from El Salvador and the first to be named while serving as an auxiliary bishop.

At 81, he will not enter the Sistine Chapel to cast a vote in the conclave, as church rules limit participation to those under 80. Still, his thoughts on the general congregations reflect the spirit of the universal church — especially the “church of the poor” dear to Pope Francis.

“There is no climate of conflict or tension. Just a lot of peace,” he said. “What God wants for the church and for the world is what each cardinal holds in his heart.”

While speculation over potential successors to Pope Francis has dominated media headlines, the cardinal noted that such discussions are largely absent from inside the Vatican walls.

“The names are in the press,” he said with a smile. “We depend on the press to know who the candidates are, because names are not something we really talk about in there — perhaps only in small groups. This is not a parliament.”

Still, continuity is on many minds.

“Of course there is talk of continuity with the legacy of Francis,” Cardinal Rosa Chávez affirmed. “This heritage is so wonderful — who would want to lose it?”

According to the Salvadoran cardinal, the prevailing desire among the electors is to choose a pope who will carry forward the mission that Pope Francis made so central: putting the poor at the heart of the church, building peace and caring for “our common home.”

“The church is in the world, and like society, there are different currents and opinions,” he said.

“This also happens in the church. We are citizens, not angels. But the current that predominates is the one that wants to see this marvelous project continue.”

The general congregations — confidential gatherings in which all cardinals discuss the state of the church and the qualities needed in the next pope — have been marked by widespread participation. For Cardinal Rosa Chávez, voices from the margins are often the most moving.

“It’s emotional to see cardinals from the peripheries, from countries often forgotten by many, raise their voice before the ‘great figures,'” he said. “We are all equal.”

In the midst of these weighty deliberations, Cardinal Rosa Chávez offered a lighthearted metaphor that reveals both his peace of mind and the gravity of the moment.

“I’ve been falling asleep thinking about the Champions League final,” he joked. “I woke up thinking about how close we are to knowing the ‘finalists,'” for the most important championship of European soccer.

The tournament is currently in its semifinals, with the conclave’s opening day — May 7 — being the day when the two last games of this stage will be played. The Champions League final, which will take place in Munich on May 31, is the European soccer equivalent of the Super Bowl.

Jokes aside, the cardinal stressed God has his say in the general congregations.

“I don’t mean I’m not focused on what’s happening,” he underlined, “but rather that there is a deep sense of calm. There’s great trust that God will show us who should continue the work of Francis.”

That work, the cardinal emphasized, must address the modern world’s biggest challenges — particularly how to evangelize in a digital culture.

“We’re often giving answers to questions that no longer exist,” he said. “What must challenge us is how to respond through a coherent life. People don’t accept hypocrisy. They want authenticity, closeness. They want to feel Christ among us.”

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