Nun's hope for Pope after 1,200-mile pilgrimage

A nun who is walking 1,200 miles (1,931km) on a pilgrimage to Rome said she hopes there will be a new Pope elected by the time she arrives.

Sister Elizabeth Carr, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, began her walk of the Via Francigena on 6 March, and is currently at Lausanne in Switzerland.

She is due to land in the Italian capital on 16 July, and said she is "a little ahead" of schedule.

With cardinals set to meet in Vatican City to elect a new Pope next week, she said she hopes the new leader of Catholics honours the legacy of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday.

Sister Carr, 50, is raising money for the Newark Emmaus Trust charity, which helps young homeless people.

She said she watched Pope Francis' funeral over the weekend, as hundreds of thousands of mourners poured into Rome to pay their respects, and said the late leader will leave a lasting legacy of kindness, especially to people in need.

"Having chosen the name Francis, it just speaks volumes to me really, that he had a great love for the poor," she said.

"He made himself accessible, that's the main thing I'll remember about him.

"I do feel like he's left a great love for people, and a great openness to all sorts of people."

Sister Carr said she will soon be making her way down through the mountain passes of Switzerland into Italy.

Having adapted to the rigorous demands of the trek, she said she has been "spiritually enriched in many, many ways" during the pilgrimage, and is praying for a smooth end to her journey.

"We're going much better than we were at the beginning in terms of the feet - the blisters, thank God, [but] the pack is still pretty heavy," she said.

"It's just been amazing to do this walk - each day is a grace.

"I have said to myself 'we'll try and get there' [on time], and it's been worth it even if I have to stop at some point, but hopefully we'll get there.

"I really am hoping that they will have elected a new Pope by then, and I'll get a chance to place myself in his shadow."

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