Cardinal from El Salvador: “The Church clearly knows what kind of Pope the world needs”

Final preparations for the papal conclave, set to begin on May 7, are underway at the Vatican. The traditional chimney is already being installed atop the Sistine Chapel — white smoke from it will signal to the world that a new pope has been elected.

As reported by ABC News, Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez of El Salvador, who at age 82 is participating in the pre-conclave general congregations, expressed confidence in a swift election process. According to him, there is already a shared vision among the cardinals about the kind of pope the Church and the world need.

“I believe there is consensus. The vision is very clear — what kind of Pope we need in the Church and in the world. That’s why I think the conclave will be short — two or three days,” he said in an interview with ABC News.

Chávez also said he hopes to see a “Francis II” — a successor who will continue the path of Pope Francis, who died on April 21.

We also previously reported that on May 2, the U.S. National Day of Prayer, Donald Trump announced the creation of a Commission on Religious Freedom, signing the executive order at the White House. “We are bringing religion back to America — swiftly and decisively,” he stated during a speech in the Rose Garden. According to Trump, “America can only be a great nation if it is a nation under God.”