Vatican City, Apr 9, 2005 / 22:00 pm
During this time Christians must focus on prayer and not be caught up with curiosity about who will be the next Pope, said Camillo Cardinal Ruini.
“Let us not be needlessly and too humanly curious to know ahead of time who [the next Pope] will be,” said the vicar-general of Rome today during the second of nine memorial masses celebrated for the late Pope John Paul II.
According to the tradition of the Church, nine memorial masses, called “novendiali,” are celebrated after the funeral of a Pope. One mass is held each day; they are usually presided by different cardinals.
“Let us instead be open to welcoming in prayer, trust and love he who the Lord will give us [as the next Pope],” he said in his homily.