DILI, 22 April 2025 (TATOLI) – Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, SDB, the Cardinal of Timor-Leste, who was elevated by the late Pope Francis in 2022, is eligible to vote in the conclave to elect the next pope.
Cardinal Silva told reporters at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, before heading to Rome, that he received a formal letter from the Vatican, following the death of Pope Francis, inviting him to be one of the 135 cardinals eligible to vote in the Papal conclave.
Before participating in the conclave, Cardinal Silva will join other cardinals in the Vatican City to attend the funeral of the late Pope Francis: “Today, I am leaving for Rome to attend the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis.”
Cardinal Silva said that he will miss the meeting between Cardinals, which is set to take place on Tuesday to decide the date for Pope Francis’s funeral.
“I will arrive in Rome on Wednesday afternoon, and I may possibly attend the Cardinals’ meeting on Thursday,” said Cardinal Silva
The closed-door papal conclave will be held within the Sistine Chapel to elect the new leader of the Catholic Church.
His Holiness Pope Francis passed away in the Vatican on Monday, April 21st, 2025, at 7:35 a.m. (Rome time), at the age of 88.
The cause of Pope Francis’ death has been identified as a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse, according to the official medical report released by the Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, Dr. Andrea Arcangeli.
Pope Francis, the Latin American pontiff, known for his humble style and concern for the poor, was the second pope to visit Timor-Leste—after St. John Paul II, who travelled to the country on 12 October 1989 during the Indonesian occupation. He was the first pontiff to visit the country since it gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.
During his three-day stay in the country from September 9 to 11, 2024, Pope Francis met with some of the country’s national and religious leaders, visited vulnerable groups, and spoke to massive crowds of the faithful in Dili. The Pope left a message of hope, unity, and commitment to peace, emphasizing the importance of youth and the protection of the cultural and spiritual values of the Timorese people.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
