The next Pope has to be someone who raises the conscience of the people, Father Michael Duffy told Newsmax Wednesday.
Duffy, who is rector of St. Agnes Cathedral in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, told "Wake Up America" that Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, said this very morning that "the next Holy Father has to be one who can awaken the conscience of people throughout the world."
Duffy added, "I think that is what we need our Holy Father to do, and he will do, and we need to listen."
Father Gerald Murray, pastor of St. Joseph's Church in New York City, participated in the panel discussion and explained that the start of the conclave is one of the high moments in the life of the Catholic Church.
He said that the cardinals have a "solemn duty" to vote for a new Pope and that "the rituals go back centuries, and it is part of the grandeur," including taking an oath of secrecy.
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Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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