The Archbishop of Montevideo and Cardinal Primado del Uruguay, Daniel Sturla, is already in Rome, where he attended the funeral of Pope Francis and will participate in the next conclave. From there, he shared his sensations and yearnings for the future of the Church and the next pontiff.
“It has been a very strong experience,” said the purple to Telemundo referring to the massive ceremonies, with the presence of heads of state, among which he especially mentioned the encounter between the American Donald Trump and the Ukrainian Volodimir Zelenski, which he considered “a hope of peace for the world.”
Receive the main news of ACI Press by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social networks. Subscribe to our free channels today:
“This is also a hope of peace for the world and without a doubt that Pope Francis must be interceding for it,” he said.
The Uruguayan purple explained that during this week the cardinals are gathering in the general congregations and that the conclave will begin on May 7.
Within that framework, he asked “those who have faith, who are very much for the next Pope, for the choice that the cardinals make,” he wants, be the most successful choice, and for all, because the Pope is a world leader and a man who works for peace. “
In dialogue with the German medium DW, Cardinal Sturla acknowledged that the Catholic Church in Latin America lives this moment “with pain and hope.”
Open doors church is part of Francisco’s legacy, says Cardinal Daniel Sturla
Cardinal Daniel Sturla, Archbishop of Montevideo, believes that the “open -door church and put the poor in the center of pastoral care” are part of the legacy that … pic.twitter.com/4jcQLa12Rs
– Spanish DW (@DW_ESPANOL) April 26, 2025
Regarding the election, he clarified that “the next Pope is Peter’s successor, not the successor of Francisco, and every Pope responds to history, at the time he has to live and tries to be faithful to Christ.”
“Each Pope also makes his contribution and also, like every human being, he can have his mistakes. I believe that there is a very important Pope Francis legacy that has to do with that church being in exit, church of open doors and with that put in the center pastoral attention to the poor,” he listed.
“I think that will remain beyond him, and there will be other things that they can change with the new Pope and that they will also adapt to the moment that the Church will live from now on.”
The Archbishop of Montevideo was also consulted on the influence of the world context and the geopolitical situation when choosing the next pontiff. “I understand that you can have your motivation, let’s say your importance, but I don’t think it’s the fundamental,” he synthesized.
“I believe that you have to look for a person who is very faithful, to be faithful to Jesus, to the Gospel, to testify with his life and that at the same time he has the pastoral theological preparation and the experience to assume a responsibility of this type,” he added.
“And we trust that the Holy Spirit acts so much in the election, that hopefully we hear the voice of the Spirit, as well as to encourage, assist and inspire the new Pope,” he concluded.
Julieta Villar
I am a journalist, a graduate in Communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non -governmental organizations. Since 2016 I dedicate myself to Catholic journalism, first in the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as a correspondent for ACI Press for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.