NÉ in Andalusia, Mgr Lopez, almost 73, also obtained Paraguayan nationality. Since 2017, he has been an archbishop of the Moroccan capital, where he claims to have lived “a conversion”In the way of assuming his ministry.
“I barely confess a person every six months”, In a country where Islam is the majority religion, he explains, smiling at AFP, on the sidelines of the Conclave preparatory meetings in Rome. “It helped me discover that I was not there to serve the church, but that in being the church, I had to put myself at the service of the world, in this case of the Muslim world”, he observes.
He is one of the 133 cardinals voters who will participate, from May 7, in the conclave which will eliminate the successor of François. It was the Argentinian Jesuit who created him Cardinal in 2019.
He has not yet decided for whom he was going to vote. But the next pope “Do not necessarily have to be a François Bis, an imitator of François”ensures this fine connoisseur of the Vatican and the cardinals.
He must be “A good imitator of Christ, a good Christian, a good person and attentive to what is happening in the world”assures the cardinal, who appears on certain lists of “Pepobili” (Favorites) drawn up by the press.
In recent days, he has participated with the other cardinals in general congregations (preparatory meetings) behind closed doors to discuss the profile of the future pope and on the challenges the church is confronted.
On Tuesday, around twenty of them spoke. “We listen to people we may have never heard of before (…) and that guides us”explains Mgr Lopez.
“It’s been several days that I have been far from Morocco, and I want and need to come back”
Cristobal Lopez Romero, Archbishop of Rabat
-
“When a person speaks, she reveals herself; let’s say that he shows herself, he cannot hide”, Estens the Cardinal, who obtained Paraguayan nationality after having lived almost 20 years in this country.
As the conclave approaches, he claims not to be nervous, but “curious”.
“A little worried because I know the responsibility that it implies, but serene because I believe in the Holy Spirit”he admits. “I approach it with a certain joy and a certain curiosity to see how things will happen.”
Like other cardinals, he believes that the conclave “Could last two or three days”more “No more”. “It’s been several days that I have been far from Morocco, and I want and need to come back”he confesses.
The last two conclaves, who had elected Benoît XVI in 2005 and François in 2013, had lasted two days.
The Cardinal, who also worked in Bolivia, supports the vision of a mission church, a line promoted by François during his 12 years of pontificate, during which he also created cardinals in regions historically marginalized by the Catholic Church.
“Thanks to Pope Francis, he has become much clearer than the Church is universal, Catholic, that there are no geographic boundaries that limit us”, he underlines.
“After 50 years of a Polish pope, a German pope and an Argentinian pope, why not consider a pope coming from Burma, Timor or Australia, or North America, or Africa. Everything is possible”he says.
He could be elected, even if he does not wish: “It’s like I was told that Messi was going to retire and that I am his replacement.”
