ARGENTINA/FILE: Argentine Cardinal and long-time Vatican senior official, Leonardo Sandri, is a leading candidate for Pope among Latin America's contenders

Record ID: 449128

  • Title: ARGENTINA/FILE: Argentine Cardinal and long-time Vatican senior official, Leonardo Sandri, is a leading candidate for Pope among Latin America's contenders
  • Date: 13th March 2013
  • Summary: VATICAN (RECENT - MARCH 3, 2013) (REUTERS) **PLEASE NOTE: PART QUALITY AS INCOMING** GENERAL VIEW OF ST. PETER'S SQUARE STATUES OF SAINTS ON COLONADE TOURISTS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE CARDINAL LEONARDO SANDRI SEATED IN OFFICE WITH REUTERS JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) CARDINAL LEONARDO SANDRI, SAYING: "For me, one of the most important problems today is the loss of faith. We are seeing a kind of general apostasy, the Pope spoke about a crisis of God." SANDRI'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) CARDINAL LEONARDO SANDRI, SAYING: "The role of women in the world has increased and this is something the Church has to ask itself about. They must have a much more important role in the life of the Church so that they can contribute to church life in so many areas which are now, in part, open only to men." VISITORS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE SEEN THROUGH COLUMNS
  • Embargoed: 28th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Vatican City State, Argentina
  • City:
  • Country: Argentina Vatican City State
  • Topics: Politics,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA1R45FH973XQ19AD34CS9JM50W
  • Story Text: As 115 Catholic cardinals remained in lockdown on Wednesday (March 13) to choose a new Pope, Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri has emerged as one of the leading Latin American candidates.
    After Pope Benedict's surprise resignation last month, many speculated that the Church would look beyond Europe for the next pontiff and Sandri's name appeared along with other Latin American notables such as Sao Paulo Archbishop Odilo Scherer and another Argentine cardinal, Jorge Bergoglio.
    At 69-years-old, Sandri is not seen as one of the younger contenders, and does not have a lengthy paper trail on hot button issues, but his long career at the Vatican has made him one of the leading names.
    Sandri is an experienced diplomat and currently leads the Vatican's department for Eastern Churches.
    In a recent interview with Reuters, Sandri acknowledged the Church was in a difficult period, saying one of the greatest challenges was trying to win back those suffering from a "loss of faith" who had "turned their back on God".

    "For me, one of the most important problems today is the loss of faith. We are seeing a kind of general apostasy, the Pope spoke about a crisis of God," he said.
    Country of origin has been a factor analysts expected the cardinals to consider in the conclave. Europeans have held the papacy for 1,300 years and many Vatican-watchers believed the group would vote for a candidate from another part of the world, possibly from Africa.
    As a region, Latin America represents 42 percent of the world's 1.2 billion-strong Catholic population.
    But Sandri said earlier that geography should not be the deciding factor in a pope, saying that the cardinals should elect the man who is "best prepared, best qualified".
    He also has said that women should have more key positions in the Vatican administration and the Church. At present, women can only reach the position of under-secretary in Vatican departments, the number three post after president and secretary. So far, these positions have been held only by ordained men.

    "The role of women in the world has increased and this is something the Church has to ask itself about. They must have a much more important role in the life of the Church so that they can contribute to church life in so many areas which are now, in part, open only to men," Sandri said.
    Sandri is the son of Italian immigrants who was born, raised and schooled in Argentina. But he left for Rome when he was 27.
    He rose up the Vatican ranks and in 2000 was named Substitute for General Affairs, the third most important position within the Vatican and after the Cardinal Secretary of State and the Pope.
    Sandri had a more visible role as Pope John Paul II's health declined, reading texts that the Pope could not himself. And it was Sandri who announced the Pope's death to the world on April 2, 2005.
    In 2007, Pope Benedict made Sandri a cardinal.
    He makes occasional trips back to his home country of Argentina, but spends the majority of his time at the Vatican. He returned to Buenos Aires briefly last year, officiating a mass and meeting with President Cristina Fernandez.
    Sandri speaks English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
    Other papal frontrunners include Sao Paulo Archbishop Odilo Scherer, Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola, Canada's Marc Ouellet and the United States' Timothy Dolan or Sean O'Malley.
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