Malaysian cardinals vote in election of new pope
23/04/2025
Sebastian, 73, who now lives in Penang and has been the Bishop of Penang since 2011, will join his friends from around the world for the next papal voting process following the death of Pope Francis. --photoBERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR: Following the death of Pope Francis, the next Pope will be elected by the College of Cardinals which is the most senior line of priests in the Catholic Church, and out of these 135 voters, one of them is Malaysian.
The cardinals eligible to vote are now heading to the conclave, which comes from the Latin word clave, meaning "with a key" - referring to the Pope's closed and secret election process.
Datuk Seri Sebastian Francis, who was born in Johor, will join his friends from around the world for the voting process. The 73-year-old priest currently resides in Penang and has been the Bishop of Penang since 2011.
He was elevated to cardinal in September 2023 by Pope Francis. He is the second cardinal from Malaysia after the late Anthony Soter Fernandez.
Former President of the Malaysian Catholic Bar Association Datuk Joy Appukuttan said during Pope Francis' administration, "we have seen many cardinals from smaller countries appointed.
"Malaysia and Singapore are also there. Cardinal (Sebastian) Francis is one of them and needs to attend the conclave soon," he said.
Another source said "Cardinal Sebastian is currently on his way to Rome for the election of a new Pope."
The Penang Bishops' Area in a post on its website states that Francis' personal belief is that "one must have good emotional and humanitarian maturity, be open to creative and inclusive thinking, especially towards ethnic, racial and religious differences."
The Guardian newspaper reports that there are more than 250 cardinals from more than 90 countries, but only about 135 are cardinal voters (those over 80 years old are not eligible).
"About 110 of the cardinal electors have been appointed by Pope Francis in the last 10 years, reflecting his vision of a more inclusive church.
"Once the cardinals gather in Rome, usually 15-20 days after the Pope's death, they will gather under a ceiling decorated with Michelangelo's paintings in the Little Church of the Sistine, to begin discussions.
"After the phrase extra omnes - all out - is announced, referring to all but cardinal voters, as well as some officials and doctors, the door will be locked.
"The cardinals will take an oath of secrecy and are not allowed to be in contact with the outside world throughout the election process. Telephones will be picked up and no newspapers, televisions, letters or messages will be allowed. The church will also be inspected for espionage devices before and during the conclave," according to The Guardian.
Voting will continue until a candidate obtains a two-thirds majority, meaning there will be several rounds of elimination.
At the time the vote was secret, The Guardian reported that "this does not mean that the process is free of factional divisions, cunning tactics and lobbying processes."
After each round of voting, the ballot paper is burned – black smoke will come out of the chimney as high as 60 feet indicating the results have not yet been reached; while the white smoke will signal to the world that a new Pope has been elected. This election gained global attention because the Pope is considered the head of the 1.37 billion Catholics.
Pope Francis, an Argentine and the first Latin American Pope, is known for his fight for social justice, environmental issues as well as his support for the Palestinian people.
In an Easter Day speech last week, he expressed his "closeness to the suffering of Christians in Palestine and Israel, as well as all Israelis and Palestinians."
He has consistently criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza, specifically the killing of Palestinians and in a video uploaded on social media, he is seen contacting Catholic priests in Palestine, to ask how they are doing at the time of their attack.
