He never wanted the job: Why a Spanish archbishop’s name is now circulating for the papacy
The Archbishop of Rabat, born in Spain, laughs off speculation about becoming Pope—and explains why you’d have to be “mentally ill” to want the role.
When Archbishop Cristóbal López Romero of Rabat, Morocco, learned his name was appearing among the favorites to become the next Pope, his reaction was anything but ambitious.
“You’d have to be mentally ill to want to be Pope,” he joked in a recent interview with RTVE, shared by Europa Press. López Romero, who hails from Vélez-Rubio, a small town in Spain’s Almería province, is one of seven Spanish cardinals who will participate in the upcoming conclave to elect a new Pontiff.
While bookmakers and Vatican watchers are placing bets on his candidacy, López Romero made it clear: he has no desire for the papacy.
“Being Bishop of Rome is something that overwhelms any human being,” he explained. “Wanting it either shows you’re out of your mind and don’t understand what it entails, or you’re spiritually sick and driven by a thirst for power.”
“If the Church asks, you can’t say no” — but he’s not campaigning
Despite his strong words, López Romero acknowledged that if the Church and his fellow cardinals were to choose him, saying “no” wouldn’t be an option.“That’s a different attitude,” he said. “But to wish for it, to seek it—no. That doesn’t exist among us, even if many people refuse to believe it.”
The archbishop contrasted the attitude within the Church to that of political candidates, many of whom actively campaign for leadership roles.
“In politics, people declare themselves candidates. Here, no one does,” he pointed out.
Betting odds favor him—but history suggests otherwise
When asked directly about the betting markets that list him among the frontrunners, López Romero smiled and quoted a famous Vatican saying: “He who enters the conclave as Pope leaves it a cardinal.”
“I have absolutely no ambition. I could never imagine myself in that role,” he said. “So the fact they’re mentioning my name early on is actually a good sign—I won’t be carrying that heavy burden.”
Indeed, Vatican history is filled with surprise elections, and López Romero sees no reason why this time would be any different.
Logic doesn’t work when choosing a Pope
The archbishop urged the public not to put too much stock in media speculation.“These stories should be taken with a sense of humor,” he advised. “There’s no logical basis for most of them.”
He cited past papal elections, including that of Pope Francis, as examples of how unpredictable the process can be.
“In the election of a Pope, logic doesn’t really apply. Nobody expected Francis either, and yet he was chosen,” López Romero noted. “That’s why I’m perfectly at peace.”
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