Cardinal Yoo Named as One of the 12 Leading Candidates
Corriere della Sera, Italy's largest daily newspaper, has named Cardinal Lazarus Yoo Heung-sik, the first Korean minister of the Holy See, as a leading candidate for the next pope.
On April 22 (local time), Corriere della Sera selected Cardinal Yoo as one of the twelve most prominent candidates for the next pope ahead of the Conclave, the secret meeting of cardinals to elect the successor to Pope Francis.
Corriere della Sera described Cardinal Yoo as "an individual who was ordained in Rome and received a doctorate in dogmatic theology in 1979, who worked to promote inter-Korean exchanges as the Bishop of Daejeon, visited North Korea four times, and has sought dialogue for peace and reconciliation."
The newspaper also introduced Cardinal Yoo as a member of the Focolare Movement. The Focolare Movement, which means "hearth" in Italian, was founded in 1943 by Chiara Lubich, a university student living in Trento in northern Italy, who witnessed the destruction caused by war and sought to live a life of love in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
In June 2021, Cardinal Yoo became the first Korean to be appointed as Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy of the Holy See, where he has built a network of relationships while working closely with Pope Francis. He is also highly regarded for his outstanding administrative abilities and his humble and open leadership style.
Born in 1951, Cardinal Yoo is currently 73 years old. He is eligible to both vote and be elected in the upcoming Conclave.
Corriere della Sera also named the following cardinals as leading candidates: Pietro Parolin, Matteo Zuppi, and Pierbattista Pizzaballa (all from Italy); Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (Democratic Republic of the Congo); Blase Cupich and Joseph Tobin (both from the United States); P?ter Erd? (Hungary); Anders Arborelius (Sweden); Jean-Marc Aveline (France); Juan Jos? Omella (Spain); and Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines).
The newspaper reported that three of the candidates are from Italy, while the remaining nine are from other countries. Only two of the candidates are of Asian descent: Cardinal Tagle and Cardinal Yoo from Korea.
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