Father Gerald Murray, pastor of Saint Joseph’s Church in New York City, said Monday on Newsmax that he expects the College of Cardinals to elect a more conservative Pope following the death of Pope Francis, describing the likely shift as a “return to normalcy.”

Pope Francis made his final public appearance Easter Sunday, offering a blessing to the crowd gathered in Saint Peter’s Square. He died the following day. Just hours before his death, he had met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance at the Vatican.

“Well, the College of Cardinals will now temporarily be in charge of the Vatican,” Murray said on “Finnerty.” “There’s a Cardinal Dean — he’s the top cardinal. And there’s a Camerlengo — he’s the one who makes practical arrangements.”

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