Scottish Catholic Observer

As Scots pay tribute to the departing Holy Father, the cardinals to elect the new Pope, including Cardinal Keith O’Brien, could enter a conclave to elect his successor as early as the next day.

“We will look for—and find—a man steeped in a lifetime of prayer, someone of great wisdom, strength of character and pastoral awareness, with a global perspective on the Church in the world ready to lead God’s people onwards again towards that mountain top where they will find Jesus Christ,” Cardinal O’Brien said.

Bishop Joseph Devine of Motherwell will preside at the Mass of Thanksgiving for a Pope he said would be remembered as ‘one of Christendom’s great heroes.’

“In Europe, Christians bearing witness to their Faith are openly denounced, ridiculed or discriminated against Pope Benedict has proved to be one of Christendom’s great heroes and led by example,” the bishop said. “He was an excellent shepherd, not asking us to politicise our Faith or impose theocracy, but rather to defend our freedom to answer Christ’s call to serve others. Let us gather to celebrate Benedict’s Christian leadership and pray that others will follow in his footsteps.”

The Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated on February 28 at 7pm in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell.

Fr Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican’s Press Office, has said that plans to begin the selection of the new Pope as soon as possible were being explored. “It is possible that Church authorities can prepare a proposal to be taken up by the cardinals on the first day after the Papal vacancy,” he said.

— Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow will offer a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Holy Father  at St Andrew’s Cathedral on Friday March 1 at 7pm

— Cardinal O’Brien on preparing for conclave, Archbishop Emeritus Conti on Pope’s health, in this week’s SCO in parishes today.