King Charles' words of sadness over the death of Pope Francis came as little surprise, C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, told Newsmax on Monday.
"King Charles, when he was prince of Wales, was probably the most sympathetic figure in modern times in the British royal family to the Catholic faith," Doyle said on "National Report." "He would make the sign of the cross in public. He would attend Catholic Masses, which is something that no member of the royal family had done before."
The king on Monday said he is "most deeply saddened" about the death of Francis and sent his "most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the church he served with such resolve."
King Charles and Queen Camilla met with Francis on a state visit to Italy this month and said they remembered the visit with "particular affection," reported the BBC.
"It's edifying and it's wonderful, but in a way it's not a surprise because he has a history of this kind of affinity and sympathy for the faith," said Doyle. "So we thank him for that. It's a very gracious thing for him to do indeed."
Meanwhile, the faithful are praying for the repose of the soul of Francis, said Doyle.
"We're also praying that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the minds and, as the prayer goes, kindle the hearts of the cardinal electors, 135 of them who will choose the successor."
He anticipated that it would take about two weeks for a successor to be elected, as has happened in the elections of other Popes in recent memory.
"We're probably looking at a conclave sometime in the next two to three weeks," Doyle said.
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