He was 78.

As head of the United States' third-largest archdiocese, Cardinal George shepherded the Chicago church through school closings and the priest sexual abuse scandal.

He strived to reconcile his support for the clergy with the pain of victims.

He also became a point person between the US and the Vatican on the abuse scandal and matters such the English translation used in the Mass.

In November 2014, Cardinal George became the first Chicago archbishop to retire, following his third cancer diagnosis.

He was succeeded in Chicago by Archbishop Blase Cupich.

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According to a New York Times report, Cardinal Francis George stated that Francis has "said some wonderful things".

But Cardinal George added: "But he doesn't put them together all the time, so you're left at times puzzling over what his intention is."

"What he says is clear enough, but what does he want us to do?"

Cardinal George, who is 77 and being treated for cancer, remains a voting cardinal until age 80.

A former president of the United States Catholic Bishops Conference, he finishes as Archbishop of Chicago next week.

Cardinal George said he would like to travel to Rome to see Francis.

"I'd like to sit down with him and say, Holy Father, first of all, thank you for letting me retire. And could I ask you a few questions about your intentions?"

In an interview last week, Cardinal George's successor in Chicago, Archbishop-elect Blase Cupich said the Pope is saying some very challenging things to people.

"He's not saying, this is the law and you follow it and you get to heaven.

"He's saying we have to do something about our world today that's suffering, people are being excluded, neglected.

"We have a responsibility, and he's calling people to task."

The US bishops have been meeting this week in Baltimore.

Jesuit media commentator Fr Thomas Reese said: "There is no bishop who is standing up and being the real leader of a Francis faction."

"They grew up in conservative families, went to conservative seminaries and have been told not to talk to theologians who are creative because they've been labelled heretical.

"Now Francis is saying, let's go in a different direction and let's have a discussion," Fr Reese said.

"The last two pontificates, there was no room for discussion, and this makes them nervous and confused."

Sources

• New York Times (MSN)
• Image: Sun Times

The documents detail interpersonal communications between victims, the priests and archdiocese officials.

Making this information public comes after other documents were released in January as part of a settlement with victims.

The archdiocese says it is aware of 352 incidents of known abuse since 1952.

Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said the document release represents "a tiny first step" for the archdiocese in addressing past abuse claims.

Cardinal Francis George said: We cannot change the past, but we hope we can rebuild trust through honest and open dialogue. Child abuse is a crime and a sin."

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The cardinals, yesterday, held their last pre-conclave talks where they have been talking about the qualities needed by the next pope and vetting possible candidates for the post.

Vatican insiders seem to be favouring the 'reformers candidate', Milan Archbishop Angelo Scola as in the lead, but without the needed support of two-thirds of the 115 'cardinal electors' .

Odilo Scherer, archbishop of Sao Paolo, Brazil is also supposedly seen as the Roman Curia's pick and so is also seen as a strong possibility.

The voting process is governed by complete secrecy.

Meeting in 'general congregations' for a week now, there is a significant block of cardinals looking for a man who can reform the Roman Curia, the central government of the Catholic Church, which has been beset by the intrigue laid bare in documents leaked by Benedict's butler last year.

While some see head of the Congregation of Bishops, Canadian Marc Ouellet as the person to implement curial reform, it was the Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Angelo Scola who was greeted by a mass of photographers and cameramen when he celebrated mass in the Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles on Sunday.

However with reform on the mind of many cardinals, and the United States no longer the only global super-power, talk in Rome also surrounds the possibility of an American Pope.

In recent days, Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley has emerged as a popular favorite, leading a poll of a half-dozen Vatican experts in the influential daily Corriere della Sera on Saturday, as well as a separate reader poll the paper published online Sunday.

According to Inquirer News, O'Malley's brown habit, signifying his Capuchin Franciscan order's simplicity and solidarity with the poor, has helped him stand out. So has his fluency in Spanish and connection with Hispanic communities, lending him an international appeal. And he is recognized as one of the church's most effective leaders in dealing with clergy sexual abuse.

Another leading US contender is the larger than life, great communicator, New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Dolan himself however is dismissing his chances.

Writing via his blog to people in the New York Diocese, he said he's looking forward to getting home; he's running out of clean socks.

Early on in the process he was similarly dismissive, saying people who are mentioning his name must be smoking some of that funny smelling tobacco.

Sources

• Inquirer News
• Boston Globe
• NBCNews
• Christian Science Monitor
• Image: BBC

Yesterday, before the cardinals met, media were reporting March 11 to be the conclave's start, however George told CBS Chicago that it is still not clear when the conclave will begin.

Saying, while his personal preference is to be back in Chicago for Holy Week, "Someone quoted St. Thomas of Aquinas, where he said you should very slow in deliberation, and then very quick in decision making," he said.

In another blow to a definite March 11 conclave date, Vatican Spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi revealed yesterday that 12 Cardinal electors have still to arrive in Rome.

Lombardi said many of those still absent are expected to arrive Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning at the latest.

Those yet to arrive are: Cardinals Naguib, Rai, Meisner, Rouco Varela, Pham, Grocholweski, Sarr, Nycz, Woelki, Duka, Lehmann and Tong.

Traditionally the conclave to elect a new pope is held between 15 and 20 days after a pope dies, however just days before he resigned, Pope Benedict XVI left the possibility of bringing the conclave forward to the College of Cardinals, however in order for this to happen, all voting cardinals need to be present.

As the cardinals in Rome gathered for their first general congregation meeting, Lombardi described the early stages of the meeting as prayerful, functional and constructive.

"The congregation was positive, serene and promising of an intense discussion of needs of church in days to come", he said.

Sources

• CBS
• Vatican Radio
• CathNews NZ Pacific