French cardinal Dominique Mamberti had the honor of pronouncing the famous Latin formula “Habemus Papam” At the end of the conclave (“We have a pope” in French), after White smoke escaped from the Sistine Chapel this Thursdayshortly after 6 p.m. It was he who announced the election of Léon XIVhis real name Robert Francis Prevost, first American pope.
At each pope election, it is customary that the sentence is pronounced by the cardinal “protodiacre”, therefore the dean of seniority of the order of cardinals-diacres, before the first appearance on the balcony of the Saint-Pierre basilica of the new elected pope. As in 2013, it is a Frenchman. Portrait of an experienced man.
Born in Marrakech on March 7, 1952 and a graduate of political studies and public law, Mgr Mamberti was ordained a priest in 1981 for the diocese of Ajaccio. He entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See in 1986, before working at the Apostolic Nunciature (Holy See Embassy) in Algeria from 1986 to 1990, then in Chile (1990-1993), with the United Nations in New York (1993-1996) and in Lebanon (1996-1999).
A long career
The man was then stationed for three years at the Vatican, advisor to the State Secretaryie for relations with the United Nations. From 2002, he became apostolic nuncio in Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia. A diplomatic experience which allowed him to be appointed “Minister of Foreign Affairs” of the Vatican by Benoit XVI in 2006.
In November 2014, Dominique Mamberti was promoted to one of the highest positions in the pontifical hierarchy, that of prefect of the supreme court of the apostolic signature, the highest jurisdiction of the Catholic Church.
Renowned in the Vatican for his discretion and expertise, Mgr Mamberti, created Cardinal in 2015 by François, is one of the five French under the age of 80 called to elect his successor. At 73, he will have the honor to announce the election of the Pope as the French Jean-Louis Tauran had done so in 2013 after the election of Pope Francis.
