Cardinal Pell Expected A Conclave Very Soon

Despite being over 80 years old and unable to vote, the late Cardinal Pell hoped to influence the next conclave which he expected to be held soon, his friend Father Frank Brennan SJ wrote in TheAustralian.com.au.

Pell told Brennan at a recent lunch in Rome that “the next conclave is not far off.” His desire to influence the conclave was instrumental in his ignoring the advice of friends who wanted him to have the hip operation in Australia or London.

But Pell firmly rejected the idea because he “did not want to run the risk of being on the other side of the world after the operation and before the Conclave.”

In recent conversations, he has criticised Benedict’s funeral, for Francis allowing Vatican shops to open during the funeral, delivering a poor sermon on his predecessor, replacing the Roman Canon with some Eucharistic prayer and making it difficult for priests to co-preside.

Picture: George Pell © Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk, CC BY-NC-ND, #newsAfnrunfbmc