Cardinal Puljic: Church is ready for a Pope from Africa or Asia

The conclave to elect the successor to Pope Francis, who will be buried on Saturday, will begin no earlier than 6 May.

In an interview with Banja Luka's Nezavisne Novine daily, Puljic said that the pontificate of Pope Francis was marked by a struggle for peace and the acceptance of refugees and all those marginalised in society.

He believes that Francis’s successor will likely bring a new style to the Church, although the foundations of faith and morals will remain the same.

"It can be said that he (Francis) was a pope of hope. He brought hope wherever he went," said Cardinal Puljic in the interview published on Saturday.

Cardinal Puljic will travel to Rome next week to take part in the conclave that will elect the new pope. When asked who he sees as Francis’s successor and whether the new pope will resemble him, he replied that it would not happen, as every person is different.

"It can never be the same. Every person brings their own new perspectives. Faith and morals remain the same; it is just the style that changes. I believe the new pope will introduce a new style to the Church. And that is normal. Every pope is unique and cannot be imitated. What matters is service. Every pope serves the people, serves the Gospel, and serves the salvation of souls," said Puljic.

Commenting on debates about whether the Church is ready for a pope from Asia or Africa, Cardinal Puljic said it is.

"Of course it is ready. What matters is that he is faithful to God, loves the Church, and is compatible with the people, regardless of where he comes from," he said.

When asked about the state of the Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cardinal Puljic said the situation is difficult because the number of believers has dramatically decreased, and this trend continues due to the poor state of the country.

"When I became archbishop, I had over 500,000 believers. Today, unfortunately, there are not even 130,000. The situation has changed completely. The Banja Luka diocese and the Mostar diocese have also experienced the same," he recalled.

He warned that the war left heavy consequences, but that there has been no real rebuilding of the country or establishment of lasting peace, so young people continue to emigrate.