Sebastian, who will leave for the Vatican this evening, said the successor to Pope Francis – who died two days ago – must be one who embraced “equality of creation and humanity.”

In a statement to FMT, Sebastian called for a pope who is guided by compassion, humility, and inclusiveness and not by divisive ideologies or personality cults.

The 73-year-old cleric also expressed hope that another man of God would be elected to lead the Catholic Church forward.

“A church at the service of humanity, together with all its concerns.”

Sebastian said he would be attending both the funeral of Pope Francis and the conclave in Rome, where more than 100 cardinals from around the world would gather behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel to vote for the next pontiff.

Sebastian, who has served as the Bishop of Penang since 2012, was appointed cardinal by Pope Francis in September 2023.

He is only the second Malaysian to be elevated to the role, after the late Anthony Soter Fernandez.

However, Sebastian is the first to ever take part in a conclave.

Looking back at the legacy of Pope Francis, Sebastian said the pope must be someone who first “surrenders and obeys the will of God while embracing his humanness.”

Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88.

His body has been placed at the St Peter’s Basilica, where it will lie in state for three days to allow the public to pay their respects. The funeral will take place at 10am this Saturday in St Peter’s Square.