(ANS – Madrid) – In these days of anticipation at the funeral of the 266th Pontiff of the Catholic Church and of projections towards the forthcoming Conclave, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, was approached by various media to recount his direct experience with Pope Francis and to receive indications from him on the profile of the new Pope.

The Spanish Cardinal met Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires when the latter was Cardinal Archbishop of the Argentine capital: “I lived there for five years as Salesian Provincial, and that is where we met. I remember travelling calmly on the metro when the carriages were still made of wood, visiting the Villas Miserias, and I remember that the times I went to the bishop’s palace, it was the Cardinal Archbishop who opened the door for me. He was a man who was simply a pastor, a man of deep and convinced faith.”

How did you receive the news of Pope Francis’ death?

I did not expect it. I was one of those who believed and saw that the Pope was improving, slowly, but improving. Francis is leaving us at an important historical moment.

What is the priority now?

Now, we must proceed calmly over the coming days with the burial of the Holy Father, where he wanted and in the simplicity he wanted, in the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major. Certainly very dear to me, because I was consecrated bishop there.

How do you assess the work of Pope Francis?

What Pope Francis has brought was really a providence of Hope. Benedict XVI, in his time, made an extraordinary contribution with his intellectual, philosophical and theological vision. And at one point he said: ‘I have come this far, I think another one must come’. And here was a Pope who came from the end of the world, as he himself said. A Pope who always wanted to be in dialogue between the Church and the world. A Pope who has tried, by all means, to bring the Church ever closer to the humblest, to the most afflicted of humanity. A Pope who has been very critical of abuses of power, wars, and deaths. A Pope who always had a courageous and prophetic gaze. And of course, as is logical, not always accepted by everyone.

Do you think the Pope foresaw this outcome?

I think he was very well prepared, from what I heard him say many times, to accept the last moment of his life, and he wanted to serve well until the end. It seems to me a privilege that, on a day as significant as Easter Sunday, he was also able to say goodbye to God’s people, of course, without knowing for sure. I don’t know how he found himself, but he managed to say goodbye, to greet the people despite his tiredness, despite the difficulty he already had in speaking, he managed to move among the 50,000 people who were in St Peter’s Square.

And after the funeral?

The cardinals will be summoned to the conclave. As a believer, I truly believe that with all the human mediations and with all the dynamics inherent in those who think for themselves and those who want to do things honestly, an attempt will be made to elect the best possible Pope from among the candidates for this world today.

Will there be continuity or a reversal?

I do not believe that there will be a ‘pendulum effect’. Everything we experience is a journey. The history of the Church has been like that. My outlook is one of great hope, of great serenity. (…)

Many ask me whether the next Pope will be progressive or conservative, and I answer that the Pope of the future will be neither. He will have to remain anchored to Jesus Christ, to the gospel and the apostolic tradition, because this has sustained the Church for 2000 years. But he will also be a man who will try to keep the dialogue with the world alive, because the world in 10 years time will not be the same as it is now.

Does entering conclave make you feel giddy?

No, because here we are all on an equal footing as members of the College of Cardinals. Certainly, it will be a unique experience. Very few people experience this at any age. In any case, I will experience it with great freedom of spirit and availability.

Sources: El Periodico, Cope