DETROIT (WXYZ) — Just days before Cardinal Joseph Tobin entered the Sistine Chapel to help elect the next pope, he exchanged texts with his sister, Molly Tobin Brusstar.
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“I told him, ‘I hope you get some rest,’” Brusstar said with a smile. “Just being the nagging sister.”
He replied: “Thanks, Molly. I really do appreciate the support. Much love.”
Extended interview: Sister of Cardinal Tobin reflects on brother's journey
Now sequestered inside the Vatican’s most sacred space, Tobin is among 133 cardinal electors from around the world participating in the conclave to select a successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21.
“It’s kind of surreal, because first of all, Joe is our brother,” Brusstar said. “He’d be praying to the Holy Spirit and to our Blessed Mother to give him guidance.”
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Tobin, the eldest of 13 siblings, currently serves as the Archbishop of Newark. One of his sisters is in Rome showing family support during the historic process. Meanwhile, in Detroit, close friends in the Catholic community are also praying for him.
Watch: Bishop Hanchon, close friend of Cardinal Tobin, discusses possibility of an American pope
“I’m very close to him,” said Bishop Don Hanchon, who said he has known Tobin for 35 years. “He’s a very thoughtful person.”
Hanchon noted that Tobin is the first Detroit-born priest in the Archdiocese’s more than 200-year history to be named a cardinal and take part in a papal conclave.
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“As a leader in the Catholic Church, you don’t go any higher,” Hanchon said. “For years, people have speculated, ‘Would they ever elect an American pope?’ The popular wisdom is, ‘No, of course not.’ But knowing Joe, his life history, the languages he speaks, he’s fluent in Spanish and French, it’s not out of the question.”
Known for his progressive and welcoming stance, Tobin has drawn comparisons to Pope Francis and is even considered by some to be a possible contender.
His decision inside the conclave, and that of his fellow cardinals, are in his loved ones' prayers.
“It’s in God’s hands,” Brusstar said.
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