Reno bishop speaks on Pope Francis and his legacy

Brett McGinness and Savannah Kuchar

USA TODAY NETWORK

Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, died Monday at the age of 88.

He had served as pope since 2013.

'He was a living witness of what faithful, humble, selfless, sacrificial service looks like,' Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg of the Diocese of Reno said in a statement Monday morning. 'He will be remembered for his relentless efforts to bring justice, mercy and peace to the world. His heroic defense of the vulnerable dignified the voiceless and gave courage to the persecuted. The world has lost a truly great man.'

Francis spent much of his papacy advocating for the environment and economic justice; Mueggenborg said Francis’ successor would continue with those issues.

'Migrants, refugees, the marginalized, the voiceless, persecuted peoples, as well as caring for the environment and a just economic system — those are all prevalent concerns in our world,' Mueggenborg said. 'He has to respond to the signs of the times now. He’s responding as part of his responsibility as the Chief Shepherd of the church to speak to these issues.'

How will the next pope be chosen?

The College of Cardinals, or the church’s most senior officials residing either at the Vatican or spread across the world, will gather in Rome to choose the next pope. The college is also acting head of the church in the interim.

Not all cardinals get to vote, though. Since 1975, only those younger than 80 are able to participate in the papal conclave.

As of Jan. 22, there were 252 cardinals, of whom 138 are electors, according to the Vatican.

Usually within 15 to 20 days after the papacy is vacated, cardinal electors meet in the Sistine Chapel and begin the strictly secretive voting process. Throughout the conclave, cardinals are under an oath of silence and forbidden contact with the outside world.

Cardinals will stay in the conclave until a new pope is selected.

This process takes as long as needed — in the 13th century, it took cardinals three years to elect Pope Gregory X. But in modern times, papal conclaves have skewed much shorter: The longest conclave in the 20th century lasted five days.

And in 2013, Pope Francis was elected in a little over 24 hours.

Who will be the next pope?

Oddsmakers have identified two favorites for the next pope; bettors think there’s an 80% chance one of them will be Francis’ successor. But it shouldn’t be surprising if a candidate with more remote chances ends up winning.

'The Italians have an expression ... ‘The person who goes into the conclave as pope comes out as a cardinal,’' Mueggenborg told the RGJ. 'Sometimes people do a lot of political speculation, and they’re just certain that someone will be elected — but that’s not the person who gets elected.'

According to betting website OddsChecker.com, as of Monday afternoon, the favorites are:

•Luis Antonio Tagle, Philippines, +150

•Pietro Parolin, Italy, +150

•Peter Erdo, Hungary, +1000

Would an American ever be named pope? It’s possible, Mueggenborg said.

'I would not put anything off the table, and I’m really serious on that,' he told the RGJ. 'I think that we’ve seen a lot of things change in the makeup of the Cardinals themselves, and I think that is going to introduce a new perspective which we have not previously experienced.'

The narrowest betting odds for American candidates, according to OddsChecker.com, are:

•Raymond Leo Burke, +1600

•Timothy Dolan, +3300

•Wilton Daniel Gregory, +3300

Events in Northern Nevada to honor Pope Francis

Members of the public, regardless of their faith, are invited to a number of services for Pope Francis:

•A multifaith prayer service will be held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Unity Center of Reno, 2207 Kings Row.

•A rosary has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral in downtown Reno.

•Bishop Mueggenborg will celebrate a Diocesan Mass for Pope Francis with the Bishop Manogue Catholic High School community at 10:30 am on Thursday, April 24 at St. Rose of Lima Church. The public is invited to attend this Mass as well. Overflow seating will be provided.