The first mass of Pope Leo XIV in the Sistine Chapel together with the cardinals ended up for a few minutes. From the Vatican gates comes out quickly, with the white dress of the Dominicans and the custody of the mitria under the arm the French cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco62 years old, Archbishop of Algiers. He seems to want to pull straight, but French journalists call him loudly and he, always available and smiling with the press, approaches cameras and microphones.
Cardinal Vesco, how did you come to the choice of Prevost?
“It was not difficult. Before the conclave there are no electoral campaigns, there are no candidates or pressure groups. Of course, you of the press make the lists of the papabili, perhaps we read our names and we pose the problem that could touch us, but the key to reading the conclave is not only human, it is a deep spiritual experience. Of course we spoke, each expressed different sensitivity, but then we understood that there were no alternatives to him, There were other possible names.
Why?
“Because on 8 May the memory of the martyrs of Algeria is celebrated, the 19 religious killed during the Algerian civil war in the late nineties. Furthermore Pope Leone is an Augustinian and Sant’Agostino was a son of the land of Algeria. When he was superior of the congregation, Prevost had visited Algeria. Now we wait for his return”.
What are the qualities of the Cardinal Prevost that the most affected year?
“He has many qualities. He is humble and discreet. He has experienced mission and government, he was superior general of the Augustinians and prefect of the congregation for the bishops. In his life he summarizes the north and south hemisphere, he has traveled a lot, he knows many countries and has a global vision. And despite being a man of government he is not a bureaucrat, he is a man who is on the field. And the people who work with him. Listening and then deciding, these qualities certainly weighed in our choice “.
Without risking the excommunication, can the majority that elected him was great?
“I can say that he had the support of the whole of the Cardinal College.”
Choosing a pope from a superpower like the United States raised objections?
“We did not ask ourselves the question, Leone is a man of two hemispheres. You have noticed that he spoke from the balcony in Italian and Spanish and not in English”
What will be his relations with Trump?
“His image certainly does not coincide with the one we made of the American right. Pope Leone will not be the ambassador of Trump and Vance”.
Seen up close what type it is?
“He is an imposing man like me, look at me. We are slender, we are not afraid”
How many languages speaks?
“Four. English, Spanish, Italian and French. French is the one that speaks less well, but understands it. It is a resource to have a pope who can express himself four languages, because all the Christians in the world want to spread directly with him”.
Pope Leone, to look out the balcony, wore the red mozzette and the golden stole. Is it a sign of breakage with Francesco’s style?
“The new Pope remains himself, while remaining in the wake tracked by Francesco. We will see if he will return to live in the papal apartments, but I think he is probable. Ah, then you will have noticed, since you love these details, which has not worn the red shoes”.
CWhat do you think of the choice of the name?
“The name Leone certainly did not arouse the enthusiasm of Francis in the crowd. Today who would call his son Leone? But remember that Pope Leo XIII was a great social pope”.
