Cardinal Vincent Nichols: A Reluctant Voter, Not a Candidate
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the spiritual leader of six million Roman Catholics in England and Wales, never imagined he would play a role in choosing the next pope. But with Pope Francis’s unexpected passing at 88, the duty has arrived—just months before Nichols turns 80 and becomes ineligible to vote in a conclave.
“I thought it was going to pass me by,” he told BBC North West in an intimate reflection. “Then a couple of months ago, when [Pope Francis] was seriously ill, I remember thinking to myself: ‘Oh Lord, this is going to come my way.’”
Born in Crosby, Merseyside, and appointed a cardinal by Francis in 2014, Nichols has met the late pope several times during high-level meetings in Rome. Yet it was one quiet moment that left the deepest impression.
“He said to me: ‘From the moment of my election as Pope, my peace has never left me,’” Nichols recalled. “Despite all the pressure, he lived close to God.”
The cardinal also shared a warm memory of their last meeting two years ago. He had been asked to deliver a book to Francis on behalf of an author. After lunch, the pope returned the gesture with a handwritten note and a copy of one of his own books. “That was quite astonishing,” Nichols said, visibly moved.
Now, under the painted gaze of Michelangelo’s Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel, Nichols and 134 other eligible cardinals will gather to elect the 267th successor to St. Peter. The weight of the moment is not lost on him.
“It is quite intimidating, frankly,” he admitted. “But once the doors of the conclave are shut, there will be a peace and a prayerfulness between us. This is not about politics or bookmakers’ odds. This is about discerning the will of God.”
And what of his own chances? The cardinal is quick to dismiss any such speculation with characteristic humility and humor.
“I’m coming home,” he smiled. “You can be sure of that.”
