Canada’s Marc Ouellet almost became pope
By Matthew Fisher, Postmedia NewsMarch 15, 2013
VATICAN CITY – Marc Ouellet of Canada almost became the Roman Catholic Church’s first pontiff from the New World before he asked his backers to switch their support to the eventual winner, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, according to several media reports.
That has led to speculation Ouellet is now in line for a powerful new job at the Vatican under the new pope, who has named himself Pope Francis.
Ouellet, the 68-year-old prelate from northwestern Quebec, was neck-and-neck with Cardinal
Angelo Scola of Italy after the first round of voting by fellow cardinal-electors Tuesday, with the eventual winner, Bergoglio, a strong third, according to reports in several Italian and American newspapers Friday.
Scola could not gain any more votes Wednesday morning after many cardinals apparently decided they did not want a Vatican insider presiding over the Holy See. After that, the media reports claim, it became a two-race between Ouellet and Bergoglio. The Argentinian, unlike Ouellet, Scola and Brazil’s Cardinal Odilo Scherer, had seldom been mentioned as one of the favourites before the papal conclave to choose a leader began.
Ouellet had been touted as a potential compromise candidate if Scola or Scherer faltered, but as it turned out, the cardinals decided the 76-year-old Argentinian Jesuit was an even better compromise candidate. Bergoglio narrowed the gap with Ouellet by picking up more votes Wednesday morning from Scola’s backers than Ouellet did.
Ouellet was “very close” to Bergoglio in the vote count “through the first three rounds,”
Il Sole 24 Ore reported. “After that he threw his support to Bergoglio, saying that they had had the same experience in Latin America so they were similar.”
La Repubblica reported more or less the same story about the voting trends, stating Ouellet got strong support early on and then asked cardinals who backed him to throw their support to Bergoglio.
In backing Francis and bringing his votes along with him, Ouellet did what the Argentinian was said to have done eight years ago when Benedict was elected pope. Lying second after three rounds of voting at that conclave, then Cardinal Bergoglio asked his backers to join him in voting for the German cardinal.