A McGill University history professor may have a front-row seat to a history-making event if his friend of more than 30 years, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, becomes the first Canadian to be named head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Prof. John Zucchi, a devoted Catholic, met Ouellet back in the 1980s, long before he became a top Vatican official and a contender for the next pope.
On Tuesday, the College of Cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel to begin their conclave, the voting process through which they decide on the next pontiff. Ouellet’s name has been included among the favourites, and Zucchi said he would be “delighted” if his friend emerged the winner.
“I think it would be so surprising and so shocking that I can’t even think about it,” Zucchi told CTV News. “I think I’ll just cross the bridge when I get there.”
Zucchi travelled to Rome for the conclave, and although his friend becoming pope would be something of a shock, he says he’s perfectly suited to the job. Ouellet, he says, is a true pastor who has experience working in both Europe and Latin America.
“He knows the Vatican on the inside, but is not considered an insider,” Zucchi said. “And I think that’s something the Cardinals would be interested in as a quality.”
Zucchi said while he would not describe his friend as shy, he wouldn’t call him a self-promoter either. His warm personality is what Zucchi considers his greatest attribute.
Caught in the rain while on a hike, Zucchi said Ouellet taught his friends the Quebecois folk song, “Une Boite a Chansons.”
“He loved singing, he gets moved to tears when he sings some of those songs,” Zucchi said.
The professor is also friends with another top contender, Italy’s Cardinal Angelo Scola, and says either man would be a great choice to lead the church.
With a report from CTV’s Atlantic Bureau Chief Todd Battis
