Barcelona archbishop only Catalan cardinal eligible to vote for new Pope –yet rules himself out

Barcelona's archbishop Joan Josep Omella is the only cardinal of all Catalan dioceses who is eligible to vote for the Pope after Francis died on Monday morning.

He was named cardinal by Pope Francis in 2017 and therefore has a right to vote and succeed him, since he is under 80 –indeed, he turned 79 the very same day the pontifex who named him died, on Easter Monday.

Yet, talking to the press on Monday afternoon, he ruled himself out as pontifex. "It is not in my plans, I very clearly know my limitations," he said, yet he also said it will be "up to God" to decide the identity of the head of the Catholic Church.

Omella explained he thought he would die taking care of a small church in Africa –he spent one year as missionary in the then Zaire, currently Democratic Republic of the Congo–, and added he would have never thought he would become a bishop or cardinal either.

In the coming days, he will travel to Rome in order to attend Pope Francis' funeral and will take part in the conclave to elect the new pontifex for his first time as one of the 135 people eligible to succeed Jorge María Bergoglio.

Also talking to the media, he expressed hope that the new pope continues the path of Francis because "this cannot be otherwise." Also, he said that it will be the Holy Spirit who will guide the cardinals in choosing "the best pope for the Church."

For Omella, Pope Francis had a "renovating" approach, and was able to persuade new believers. "Even those who are far from the church or considered sinners," he emphasized.

The archbishop is just one of Catalonia's top political and social figures to pay tribute to Bergoglio.