The legacy of Francis’ mandate in the Americas was evident in the heartfelt messages of condolence sent by the cardinals and archbishops of the region. Remembered from south to north as The pope “of the suburbs” and “of the excluded”, since 2013, Francesco has appointed a new generation of northern and South America cardinals that this week will arrive in Rome to elect a new pontiff in the conclave in which they will participate 135 Cardinals, including 24 Latin American and Caribbean, 10 US and 4 Canadians.
From Brazil, the country with the largest +number of Catholics in the world (almost 180 million baptized, according to the Vatican), the Cardinal of Salvador Sergio da Rocha stressed “the political and religious meaning of his teaching”, such as The defense of migrants and “his extraordinary commitment to peace”.
From Rocha, who received Francesco’s approval to become part of the Cardinal Council in 2023 and is one of the seven Brazilians who will participate in the Conclave, he also underlined his “Commitment to the protection of nature”.
Mexico, second only to Brazil with almost 98 million faithful, will provide two representatives to the conclave: the cardinals Carlos Aguiar Retes and Josè Francisco Robles Ortega. Robles Ortega praised the “defense of Francis of those who, as he himself said, are found in the existential suburbs”. Aguiar Networkappointed cardinal in 2016, he also underlined the Pope’s help in “reaching without fear” these suburbs “where human suffering resides”.
From Argentina, the birthplace of Jorge Mario Bergogliowhich he never visited during his pontificate, the Cardinal and Archbishop of Cordoba Angel Rossi He stressed that Francesco “never had problems playing hard on delicate themes.” Rossi, Jesuit like Francesco and personal friend, will be one of the four Argentine cardinals, all of Bergoglio, who will participate in the election of the new pontiff. Also the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Garcia Cuerva, He greeted him as “the pope of the poor, of the marginalized, of those who nobody wants”, during a mass of suffrage in the metropolitan cathedral of the Argentine capital.
The Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolanmore conservative of Pope Francis, described him as “a great teacher”. The cardinal Blase CupichArchbishop of Chicago, he prayed to “remain firm in the work of restoring the place of our Church in the world as a source of hope and support to those in need”.
So far there have been no public statements from the Cardinal Raymond Burke, Considered by the experts the American “papabile” with the greatest possibilities of replacing Francescostrenuous defender of the conservative values and supporter also of American President Donald Trump.
The Pope was also remembered by Cuba, where Francesco played a mediator role during Barack Obama and Joe Biden presidencies to bring the island closer to the United States. The Catholic Episcopal Conference underlined its legacy of “mercy, dialogue and hope” which “will continue to inspire present and future generations”.
The archbishop of San Cristobal de la Habana, Juan de la Caridad Garcìa Rodriguezhe was appointed Cardinal da Bergoglio in 2016 and is the only Cuban present at the Conclave. There will also be the cardinal Luis Josè Rueda AparicioArchbishop of Bogota. He was appointed by the Pope in 2022 and shared his concern for peace and social justice in Colombia and recalled the pontiff’s legacy as “Church in dialogue with the world”.
From Peru, the cardinal Carlos CastilloArchbishop of Lima, thanked “the Holy Father for all his generous dedication” and asked the Catholic Church to continue the journey open by Pope Francis, “carrying on all the Synod projects that he has been able to identify, guide and propose” to “be up to the difficult situation that the world is going through”.
The pontiff will also be remembered for his support for dialogue in Venezuela, where the Archdiocese of Caracas recalled him for always showing “concern for migrants” and who has established himself as a “peace manufacturer”. “His prophetic voice continues to resonate as a moral sentinel who prays for the excluded,” reads a note.
In Chile, the cardinal Fernando Natalio Chomali He thanked him for his “great teaching” to see “the world from the perspective of the poor” and the Uruguayan cardinal Daniel Sturla He recalled it as “a Latin American pope and the River Plate” who “drunk Mate” and “loved football”, summarizing: “A brother”.
The cardinal Frank LeoArchbishop of Toronto, one of the four Canadian cardinals who will elect the new Pope, greeted Francesco as a “global ambassador of peace, hope and love”. Adalberto Martinez Floresthe first cardinal of Paraguay, said that Francesco leaves behind “a church that wants to go back to the origins, always doing good”. The Ecuadorian cardinal Luis Cabrera He said that for his country Francesco was “extremely important because he was very devoted and very close to the Virgin Addolorata del Collegio” and in Guatemala, the cardinal Alvaro Ramazzini, Another of the Latin American who will participate in the conclave, described Francesco as an “open and sensitive man”, with a “missionary spirit” and “faithful to his vocation”.
In the nearby Nicaragua, the Archdiocese of Managua, Masaya and Carazo, led by the Cardinal Leopoldo Josè Bresneswhich will also elect the new Pope, expressed his “profound pain”, and the auxiliary bishop of Managua, Silvio Baezto whom he was ordered to leave Nicaragua in 2019 for security reasons, said: «Thanks for everything, Pope Francis! Your affection of brother and friend, your evangelical testimony and your words full of wisdom will live forever in my heart “