Even so, Francis said, reform was not accepted at first. “Benedict XVI was a man who led to the new style. And it wasn’t easy for him, huh? He encountered a lot of resistance within the Vatican,” he said.
Francis underlined that Benedict’s election in 2005 showed that the Holy Spirit decides who is elected pope, and there is not space to rig the conclave.
Since his election as pope in 2013, Francis has created one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse batches of cardinals in Catholic history, assigning red hats to places that are far removed from traditional centers of power in the church.
This article originally appeared here.