Cardinal López of Rabat prepares for papal conclave amid global anticipation

Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, the Spanish-born Archbishop of Rabat, is set to join 133 cardinals from across the globe to elect Pope Francis’s successor starting May 7 in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. As anticipation builds, López emphasizes the qualities he seeks in the next pope.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Francis mark II, a Francis impersonator,” López shared. “I am happy for him to be a good impersonator of Christ, that he is a good Christian, a good person and pays attention to what happens in the world.”

At 72 years old, the cardinal, who was appointed by Pope Francis in 2019, expressed a mix of apprehension and confidence ahead of his inaugural conclave. “We believe in the Holy Spirit and we will see what it shows us and where we have to go,” he remarked.

Emerging as a key candidate to lead the Catholic Church, which boasts over 1.4 billion followers worldwide, López finds himself under the spotlight following the passing of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88. His name has appeared on several international media shortlists, including those by CNN, Sky News, and Spain’s Antena 3.

When asked about the possibility of becoming pope, López firmly dismissed the notion. “If anyone says they like being pope and want to be one, either they’re unconscious or seeking power; both things are bad,” he told Argentine radio. “Either their head or heart is wrong.”

Born in Spain and holding Paraguayan citizenship after nearly two decades in the country, López has served as Archbishop of Rabat since 2017. His experiences in Morocco have significantly influenced his ministry.

“I hear confession barely once every six months,” he noted, highlighting that Christians make up less than one percent of Morocco’s 38 million population. “That helped me to realize that I wasn’t there to serve the Church but rather, as the Church, to serve the world — in this case the Muslim world.”

López has been a vocal advocate for continuing Pope Francis’s legacy of dialogue with Islam and support for migrants. “Francis reconnected us with the gospel and made us drink from the most pristine tradition while launching us into the future, putting us at the level of today’s world,” he stated.

The conclave will commence with a solemn Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by the cardinals proceeding to the Sistine Chapel, where they will take an oath of secrecy and cast votes until a candidate achieves a two-thirds majority.

To ensure confidentiality, smartphones will be banned, the room will be checked for listening devices, and cardinals will be prohibited from outside communication. The election of a new pope will be signaled by white smoke from the chapel's chimney.

López expressed his hope that the process will conclude within “two or three days,” as he looks forward to returning to Morocco. On April 26, head of government Aziz Akhannouch attended Pope Francis’s funeral on behalf of King Mohammed VI, who praised the late pontiff’s commitment to peace, dialogue, and religious coexistence.