Lima, Peru, Feb 21, 2013 / 12:04 pm
Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani of Lima, Peru, discouraged a spirit of intrigue surrounding the upcoming conclave and said the new Pope will be chosen with God's help, regardless of nationality.
"I think that geography has nothing to do with it," the cardinal said on Feb. 16. "The right person needs to be sought out with the help of God, regardless of where he is from."
Responding to media questions about whether the new Pope should be from Latin America, he explained that "geographical or political considerations are not going to be part of the conclave."
While he said that it is "understandable that there are people who think this way," he warned that it is not good for the media to promote this understanding or to make bets or create "intrigue."