At a conclave with many new members, a swift, stunning consensus built around an unknown to many outside of the church.According to The New York Times, the cardinals were left exhausted and hungry after electing a new pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church. The conclave had started with a meditation that dragged on, pushing their first vote deep into Wednesday evening. The inconclusive tally resulted in three main contenders, but the cardinals kept their vow of secrecy and returned to Casa Santa Marta, the guesthouse where they were sequestered without their phones.
Over dinner, the cardinals weighed their choices as they discussed the candidates. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the 70-year-old Italian who ran the Vatican under Pope Francis, had entered the conclave as a front-runner but had not received overwhelming support during the vote. The Italians were divided, and some of the cardinals were bothered by his failure to emphasize the collaborative meetings that Francis prioritized for governing the church.
Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary, backed by a coalition of conservatives that included some African supporters, had no way to build momentum in an electorate widely appointed by Francis. This left Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a quiet American dark horse, as a surprising source of interest in the evening’s vote.
As the cardinals picked over their simple dinner, with one cardinal sticking to a gluten-free diet and others shrugging at the fare, they discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. Ultimately, it was up to them to choose the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
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