Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis says cardinals don't always choose "the most intelligent" of their lot to be pontiff.
A child asked Francis during a papal visit to a Rome parish on Sunday how he became pope.
Francis said the man picked as pontiff "perhaps isn't the most intelligent, the shrewdest, the quickest to do what has to be done."
But he says the choice "is the one who God wants for that moment for the church."
Francis explained that while cardinals discuss the strong points of various candidates, "above all they pray."
Francis asked the children who they thought was the most intelligent cardinal in the secret papal conclave at the Sistine Chapel that ended with his 2013 election.
"You!" they shouted.
But Francis said that wasn't necessarily the case.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
