The Indo Daily: Conclave - White smoke and dark secrets
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In centuries past, conclave meant cardinals that were literally locked away until a new pope had been elected. Today, it's the world that's locked out - awaiting the unmistakable white smoke.
Deep inside the Sistine Chapel cardinals are casting secret ballots, in a process shrouded in secrecy and tradition. But in the Vatican of 2025, even ancient rites come wrapped in modern convention and controversy. So how is a modern pope elected? Why are phones confiscated? Who really pulls the strings? And who is the cardinal who has been banned from Conclave?
In today's Indo Daily, Kevin Doyle is joined by journalist Sarah MacDonald and Michael Kelly (Director of Public Affairs for Aid to the Church in Need) to look at an election where faith and political intrigue collide.
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Irish Times
12-05-2025
- Irish Times
Inside the conclave: how a quiet American became pope
The cardinals electing a new pope to lead the Catholic Church left the Sistine Chapel exhausted and hungry. A meditation to start the conclave had dragged on and pushed their first vote deep into Wednesday evening. It had resulted in an inconclusive tally, with three main contenders. Keeping their vow of secrecy, they returned to Casa Santa Marta, the guest house where they were sequestered without their phones, and started talking. Over dinner, as one gluten-free cardinal picked over vegetables and others shrugged at the simple fare, they weighed their choices. Cardinal Pietro Parolin (70), the Italian who ran the Vatican under Pope Francis , had entered the conclave as a front-runner but hadn't received overwhelming support during the vote. The Italians were divided, and some of the cardinals in the room had become bothered by his failure to emphasise the collaborative meetings that Francis prioritised for governing the church. Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary (72), backed by a coalition of conservatives that included some African supporters, had no way to build momentum in an electorate widely appointed by Francis. READ MORE That left Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost (69), a quiet American dark horse who had surprisingly emerged in the evening's vote as a source of particular interest. Cardinal Pietro Erdo of Hungary and Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy. Photograph: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images A missionary turned religious order leader, turned Peruvian bishop, turned Vatican power player, he checked many of the boxes that a broad range of cardinals hoped to fill. His seeming ability to be from two places at once – North and South America – pleased cardinals on two continents. As the prelates sounded out the Latin American cardinals who knew him well, they liked what they heard. During the dinner, Prevost avoided any obvious politicking or machinations, cardinals said. By the next morning, he had transformed into an unsuspecting juggernaut who ultimately left little room for rival candidacies and ideological camps. 'You begin to see the direction and say, 'Oh my goodness, I'm not going to use my five days' worth of clothes,'' joked Cardinal Pablo Virgilio Siongco David of the Philippines. 'It's going to be resolved very fast.' Interviews with more than a dozen cardinals, who could divulge only so much because of secrecy rules that carry the penalty of excommunication, and accounts from Vatican insiders told the story of how Prevost became Pope Leo XIV. The swift, stunning and taboo-smashing consensus around an American unfamiliar to many outside the church came on Thursday among an unwieldy College of Cardinals with many new members who didn't know one another. They had different interests, languages and priorities, but a single choice. [ The Irish Times view on Pope Leo: continuity and change Opens in new window ] Building Support After the death of Francis on April 21st, cardinals from around the world began arriving in Rome. They joined powerful players in the Vatican who ran the church's bureaucracy, including Prevost, whose career Francis had boosted. Despite his intimate understanding of the Vatican, Prevost was still among the newbies, having been a cardinal not even for two years. And he had questions about the conclave. He turned to one of the reported front-runners, Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle of the Philippines, for help. ''How does this work?'' the American said, according to Tagle, who recounted the conversation. 'I had experience in a conclave,' Tagle said, 'and he didn't.' Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle of the Philippines. Photograph: Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images Unlike Tagle, he also didn't have the name recognition considered necessary in an election among so many new cardinals who barely knew one another. Without a high profile or obvious base of support, the Chicago-born Villanova University graduate moved below the radar. 'I didn't even know his name,' David of the Philippines said. But Prevost was not a complete unknown. As the former leader of the Order of St Augustine, which operates around the world, and as the head of the Vatican office overseeing the world's bishops, he had developed powerful connections and backers. First among them had been Francis, who put his career on the fast track. And his decades in Peru , fluent Spanish and leadership of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America gave him deep, and decisive, relationships on the continent. 'We almost all know him. He's one of us,' said Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo of Venezuela, who has known him for decades. In the weeks before the conclave, the cardinals participated in a series of private meetings to discuss their concerns about the future of the church. Unlike Francis, who made his mark with a short speech sharing his vision for the church, several cardinals said that Prevost's remarks did not stand out. 'Like everyone else,' said Cardinal Juan José Omella Omella of Spain. Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco of France, the archbishop of Algiers, also could not recall what the American had said, but he got to talk to him on the sidelines of the meetings – which was important, he said, because he was increasingly being talked about as a candidate based on his 'incredible' resume, fluent Italian, reputation as a moderate and connection to Francis. The cardinal started asking around to people who had worked with the American to vet him, and learned that he listened and worked well in groups. 'I did my job,' Vesco said. 'I have to vote. I have to know the person.' Cardinal Wilton Gregory of the United States also said that Prevost had engaged 'quite effectively' in the smaller group discussions with cardinals. Those more intimate settings played to Prevost's strengths, as he had gained a reputation around Rome as a studiously prepared, collegial and organised collaborator, especially as a top Vatican department head. Cardinals attend a mass on Wednesday for the election of pope. Photograph:'I just admire the way he runs a meeting,' said Cardinal Blase J Cupich of Chicago, his hometown. 'I mean, that's hard to do, when you've got people of different language groups and cultures, and you're trying to advise a pope on who should be a bishop, and you're listening to all those people.' On Saturday, May 3rd, five days before the conclave, the cardinals drew lots and assigned key roles. With 127 of the 133 who ultimately voted in attendance, Prevost was chosen to assist in running the daily meetings before they were sequestered and voting began. As the different factions argued in those daily meetings about the future direction of the church, the cardinals from the Americas seemed to coalesce around him. Cardinal Timothy M Dolan of New York, an outspoken and gregarious figure, said he tried to get to know his fellow American better at a breakfast. Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller of Germany noted an electoral base that seemed to be forming, saying, 'It's a good number of cardinals from South America, North America.' Porras of Venezuela said that cardinals from Latin America and the United States seemed on the same page about Prevost. 'When you have friendship first,' he said, 'everything is easier.' The more the cardinals learned about Prevost, the more they liked, cardinals said. 'Bob, this could be proposed to you,' Cardinal Joseph W Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, said he told Prevost soon before the conclave began. Prevost had a lot of the experience they were looking for, said Cardinal Vincent Nichols of England. He had the heart of a missionary, scholarly depth and knowledge of the world. He had run a diocese as a bishop, which put him in close contact with parishioners, but had also worked in the Curia, the Roman bureaucracy that helps govern the church. It did not escape the cardinals, Nichols said, that Parolin, the Vatican's top diplomat, who was being pushed by his supporters in and out of the conclave, had deep experience only in the church bureaucracy. 'We're not stupid,' he said. [ 'Never again war': Pope Leo makes plea for peace in Ukraine and Gaza Opens in new window ] Quickly Shifting Fortunes On Wednesday, after a long and solemn procession into the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals gathered at their assigned seats and took their vows. Just before 6pm the doors closed for the beginning of the conclave. The meditation at the start, remarks on the gravity of the task at hand, ran about an hour, so long that Parolin, who was running the conclave, asked them if they wanted to call it a night and delay the first vote until the next morning. 'We didn't have dinner, and there were no breaks – toilet breaks – either,' said David of the Philippines, but the group decided that it wanted a vote. As voting got under way at about 7.30pm, the delay, with no explanation to the outside world, caused a stir among the waiting crowds. It seemed perhaps that the cardinals had already picked a pope who was getting dressed to come out on to the balcony. Instead, the first vote that night amounted to what Omella of Spain called 'a bit of a preliminary poll'. 'In the first vote, there were several candidates who won significant votes,' Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik of South Korea said, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap. Vatican insiders said that those candidates included Parolin, Erdo and Prevost. That's when the cardinals returned to the guest house and started discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the men. 'Once we're in Santa Marta, there was talk about individual candidates,' Nichols of England said. 'That's what we're supposed to do.' Muller of Germany, a prominent conservative critic of Francis whom the late pope had fired from his position as the church's top doctrinal official, said he talked to the Latin Americans about Prevost and was told that he was 'not divisive'. The climate for Prevost seemed to be growing increasingly positive. The election was coming to him. The next morning's votes – the second and third of the conclave – made the picture clear. Crowds in St Peter's Square await news from the conclave. Photograph: Filippo Monteforte /AFP via Getty Images 'In the fourth vote, the ballots overwhelmingly shifted' to Prevost, You of South Korea said. Muller sat behind the American front-runner in the Sistine Chapel and noticed that he seemed calm. Tagle, who sat next to Prevost, noticed him taking deep breaths as votes amassed in his favour. 'I asked him, 'Do you want a candy?' and he said 'Yes,'' Tagle said. During one of the votes, Tobin, as he held his ballot high and put it in the urn, turned and saw Prevost, whom he had known for about 30 years. 'I took a look at Bob,' Tobin of New Jersey said, 'and he had his head in his hands.' Later in the afternoon, they voted again, then counted the ballots one by one. When Prevost reached 89 votes, the two-thirds majority threshold needed to become pope, the room erupted in a standing ovation. 'And he remained seated!' David said. 'Somebody had to pull him up. We were all teary-eyed.' As the counting continued and the votes for Prevost neared triple digits, Parolin had to ask them to sit down so they could finish. 'He obtained a very, very large majority of votes,' Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana of Madagascar said. After his election, cardinals enthusiastically congratulated the new pope. A short and uncontentious conclave was over and Leo XIV stepped through the crimson curtains on to the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and the world stage. Tagle, the one-time favourite who days earlier had been asked by the American about the rules, told him: ''If there's anything you want to change about the conclave rules – it's all in your hands now.'' - This article originally appeared in The New York Times . Newly elected Pope Leo XIV arrives on the main central balcony of St Peter's Basilica. Photograph: AFP via Getty Images
Irish Independent
09-05-2025
- Irish Independent
The Indo Daily Extra: Pope Leo XIV – A progressive papacy or a rollback to more traditional Catholic values?
The conclave was short - barely 36 hours. Which means one thing: Pope Leo had the votes. But why him? Why now? And what does it mean that the next leader of 1.4 billion Catholics comes not from the Global South, where the faith is growing, but from the backyard of Donald Trump? Today on this extra episode of the Indo Daily, Ellen Coyne is joined by Michael Kelly, director of public affairs for Aid to the Church in Need, who has covered two previous conclaves, to ask whether the election of 69-year-old Pope Leo XIV will be a continuation of Pope Francis' gentle revolution or a rollback to more traditional Catholic values. The Indo Daily Extra: Pope Leo XIV – A progressive papacy or a rollback to more traditional Catholic values?
Irish Independent
08-05-2025
- Irish Independent
New pope elected as white smoke billows from the Sistine Chapel
Key updates Day 2: So what happens today? Conclave: Inside the time-honoured secret election to choose the next leader of Catholic Church How long was the longest conclave? Facts about the secret voting to elect a pope Papal conclave begins – what is it and how long might it take? 2 minutes ago White smoke rises from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel, indicating that a new pope has been elected at the Vatican, May 8, 2025. REUTERS/GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE 6 minutes ago White smoke billows from Sistine Chapel, signalling new pope elected White smoke appeared from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on Thursday, signalling that the 133 Roman Catholic cardinals meeting in a secret conclave have elected a new pope. Today 09:22 AM Today 07:22 AM Second black smoke billows from the Sistine Chapel - but it's no surprise The second round of Conclave voting this morning concluded shortly before midday with the second black smoke, meaning that the Cardinals have yet to agree on a succesor to the late Pope. The result of this morning's two votes came as no suprise to observers. The complex nature of this vote, the fact that the Cardinals are emphatically divided, doctrinally speaking, and the relative 'Conclave inexperience' of the 110 'new' Cardinals appointed by Pope Francis all combine to make this a very tricky vote which will need a careful and subtle series of negotiations to be resolved. At least in one thing, the Cardinals appear to have upped their work rate, holding two votes in little under three and a half hours this morning. Yesterday's opening vote, on its own, took three hours and 17 minutes. Of course, all sorts of procedural aspects of the first vote, including a 45-minute meditation address to the Cardinals from Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, after the Sistine doors had been shut, made yesterday's vote much longer. For now, based on this morning's showing, it looks like the Cardinals will be able to survive a regime that involves one voting session and two votes, every morning and evening. Replenished by a decent lunch at their Domus Santa Marta residence and perhaps refreshed by a little after dinner nap, the Cardinals return to the fray this afternoon when the smoke is again expected to be black. Indeed, it will come as a major surprise, if this conclave does not run into next week, such is its complexity. Paddy Agnew in Rome Today 07:04 AM In Pictures: Black smoke billows Smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a successor of late Pope Francis, at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. Today 07:03 AM 'Papabili' and geographic diversity A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries are involved in the 2025 ballot, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave - growth that reflects efforts by Francis to extend the global reach of the Church. While no clear favourite has emerged, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered the front-runners. If it becomes obvious that neither can win, votes are expected to shift to other contenders, with the electors possibly coalescing around geography, doctrinal affinity or common languages. Other "papabili" - potential papal candidates in Italian - are France's Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary's Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost, Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Filipino Pablo Virgilio David. During the conclave, cardinals are sequestered from the world and sworn to secrecy, their phones and computers confiscated, while they are shuttled between the Sistine Chapel for voting and two Vatican guesthouses to sleep and dine. Before the conclave began, some cardinals offered different assessments of what they are looking for in the next pope. Francis' relatively liberal pontificate was marked by bitter divisions between traditionalists and modernisers. Some have urged continuity with his vision of greater openness and reform, while others long to turn the clock back and embrace fading traditions. Many have indicated they want a more predictable, measured papacy. Reuters Today 06:11 AM So - what happens now? Black smoke billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, signalling that the cardinals locked in a Conclave have not yet chosen a new pope to guide the Roman Catholic Church. Thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square waited for smoke to pour from the flue on the chapel's roof, which it did shortly before noon (1000 GMT). The 133 cardinals under the age of 80 began the secret process on Wednesday, shut away in complete isolation as they pick a successor to the late Pope Francis. They burn the ballot papers and mix them with chemicals to show how proceedings are going - black signalling no pope and white announcing a new pontiff. The cardinals held an initial inconclusive vote on Wednesday evening. They are scheduled to hold up to two more ballots on Thursday afternoon, with possible smoke signals expected some time after 5:30 p.m. (1530 GMT). The red-hatted "princes of the Church" will keep on voting up to four times a day until someone wins a two-thirds majority. No pope in modern times has been elected on the first attempt, so Wednesday's black smoke was widely expected. But given recent history, a final result is possible from the second day. Francis, the first pope from Latin America, was elected on the evening of the second day of the last conclave, held in 2013, as was his predecessor, Benedict XVI, in 2005. Today 05:59 AM Today 05:58 AM Today 05:54 AM BREAKING: Black smoke signals no pope elected in Thursday morning conclave votes Black smoke appeared from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on Thursday, signalling that cardinals meeting in a secret conclave did not elect a new pope during their two morning ballots. The cardinals held an initial inconclusive vote on Wednesday evening. They now hold two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon daily until someone wins the necessary two-thirds majority to become the next pontiff. Reuters Today 05:44 AM Ellen Coyne: The Irish Catholic Church has the potential to become more politically relevant than it has been in years At one Sunday mass in Dublin in January this year, the congregation were invited to pray for politicians. At the time, the newly formed Irish Government was just getting up and running. Soon, it would be plunged into weeks of indolence by the exasperating speaking rights row. But, at the time, this particular parish still had faith that ministers would be far more consequential in the short term than they have managed to be, Ellen Coyne writes. Ellen Coyne: The Irish Catholic Church has the potential to become more politically relevant than it has been in years At one Sunday mass in Dublin in January this year, the congregation were invited to pray for politicians. At the time, the newly formed Irish Government was just getting up and running. Soon, it would be plunged into weeks of indolence by the exasperating speaking rights row. But, at the time, this particular parish still had faith that ministers would be far more consequential in the short term than they have managed to be. Today 05:19 AM Today 04:49 AM Today 04:49 AM Four rounds of voting can take place on Thursday Roman Catholic cardinals were set to have returned to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, resuming voting for a successor to the late Pope Francis in the largest and most geographically diverse conclave in history. The cardinals began the heavily ritualised and secret process of choosing a new leader for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on Wednesday, locked away in complete isolation from the world. In the evening, black smoke billowed from a chimney on the roof of the chapel, signalling an inconclusive first ballot. On Thursday, they were expected to begin voting from around 9 a.m. (0700 GMT), according to what the Vatican said ahead of the meeting. White smoke would signal the election of a new Church leader to replace Francis, who died last month. If the first vote on Thursday is decisive, the election could be announced as early as around 11 a.m. (0900 GMT). If not, smoke signals would come later in the day. No pope in modern times has been elected on the first attempt, so Wednesday's black smoke was widely expected. But given recent history, a final result is possible from the second day, when up to four rounds of voting can take place. The red-hatted "princes of the Church" are due to hold two votes in the morning session and two in the afternoon, continuing in coming days until one man has secured a majority of at least two-thirds. A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries are involved in the ballot, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave in 2013 - growth that reflects efforts by Francis to extend the global reach of the Church. Argentine-born Francis was elected in 2013 at the end of the second day, after five rounds of voting. In 2005 it took two days but only four votes to pick Germany's Benedict XVI. While no clear favourites have emerged, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as the Vatican's number two under Francis, and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered the front-runners. Parolin has been described as "Clark Kent without the Superman part", and Tagle has been described as the "Asian Pope Francis". If it becomes obvious that neither can win, votes are expected to shift to other contenders, with the electors possibly coalescing around geography, doctrinal affinity or common languages. Other potential "papabili" - papal candidates in Italian - are France's Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary's Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost and Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa. During the conclave, cardinals are sequestered from the world and sworn to secrecy, their phones and computers confiscated, while they are shuttled between the Sistine Chapel for voting and two Vatican guesthouses to sleep and dine. In recent days, they have offered different assessments of what they are looking for in the next pope. Francis' relatively liberal pontificate was marked by bitter divisions between traditionalists and modernisers. While some urged for continuity with his vision of greater openness and reform, others longed to turn the clock back and embrace traditions. Many have indicated they want a more predictable, measured pontificate. Reuters Today 03:59 AM Today 03:18 AM Today 03:17 AM Could there be a Pope announced today? The largest and most geographically diverse conclave in history was due to resume on Thursday, with Roman Catholic cardinals returning to the Sistine Chapel to try to settle a wide-open papal election. The red-hatted "princes of the Church" started the heavily ritualised process of choosing a new leader for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on Wednesday. In the evening, black smoke billowed from a specially-installed chimney visible from St Peter's Square to signal an inconclusive ballot. No pope in modern times has been elected on the first attempt, so that outcome was widely expected. But given recent history, a final result is possible from the second day, when up to four rounds of voting can take place. A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries are involved in the secret ballot, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave in 2013 - growth that reflects efforts by the late Pope Francis to extend the reach of the Church during his 12-year tenure. Argentine-born Francis, who died last month, was elected at the end of the second day, after five rounds of voting. Eight years earlier, it also took two days but only four votes to elevate Germany's Benedict XVI to the papacy. White smoke would signal the election of a new Church leader. There are no clear favourites, although Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as the Vatican's number two under Francis, and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered the front-runners. If it becomes obvious that neither can obtain the necessary two-thirds majority, votes are expected to shift to other contenders, with the electors possibly coalescing around geography, doctrinal affinity or common languages. Other potential "papabili" - papal candidates in Italian - are France's Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary's Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost and Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa. During the conclave, cardinals are sequestered from the world and sworn to secrecy, their phones and computers confiscated, while they are shuttled between the Sistine Chapel for voting and two Vatican guesthouses to sleep and dine. In recent days, they have offered different assessments of what they are looking for in the next pope, following a relatively liberal pontificate marked by bitter divisions between traditionalists and modernisers. While some urged for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, others longed to turn the clock back and embrace traditions. Many have indicated they want a more predictable, measured pontificate. Alvise Armellini, Reuters Today 02:50 AM The Indo Daily: Conclave - White smoke and dark secrets In centuries past, conclave meant cardinals that were literally locked away until a new pope had been elected. Today, it's the world that's locked out - awaiting the unmistakable white smoke. Deep inside the Sistine Chapel cardinals are casting secret ballots, in a process shrouded in secrecy and tradition. But in the Vatican of 2025, even ancient rites come wrapped in modern convention and controversy. So how is a modern pope elected? Why are phones confiscated? Who really pulls the strings? And who is the cardinal who has been banned from Conclave? In today's Indo Daily, Kevin Doyle is joined by journalist Sarah MacDonald and Michael Kelly (Director of Public Affairs for Aid to the Church in Need) to look at an election where faith and political intrigue collide. Listen to the podcast here, or wherever you get your podcasts: The Indo Daily: Conclave - White smoke and dark secrets In centuries past, conclave meant cardinals that were literally locked away until a new pope had been elected. Today, it's the world that's locked out - awaiting the unmistakable white smoke. Today 02:47 AM Cut-off from the world... but on livestream Following a centuries-old tradition, cardinals are cut off from all communications with the outside world while they take part in the anonymous voting process. In a livestream from the Sistine Chapel, the electors could each be seen taking an oath pledging secrecy on their vote and what happens at conclave. At around 4.45pm UK time, a Vatican official declared 'extra omnes', the Latin phrase telling non-cardinals to leave, with the large brown doors of the chapel shut shortly after. The livestream cut to crowds in St Peter's Square in front of St Peter's Basilica, some of whom waved when they spotted they were on camera. This conclave is thought to be one of the most diverse of any meeting of cardinals before, representing some 70 countries and hailing from places such as Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga which had not had a cardinal before. Pope Francis had appointed some 108 of the 133 cardinals who will choose his successor. The next pope must be someone who can bring together disparate groups within the Catholic Church, an emeritus professor of Catholic theology at the University of Bristol said. Professor Gavin D'Costa said: 'This conclave is more universal in representative terms than any other in the history of the Church, even if it is also lacking in balance – having more European cardinals than any other single group, but with a dwindling Catholic population in Europe. 'The priority will be to select a pope who embodies the common good, who can unite disparate groups within Catholics, and provide a vision of the Church that can be conducive to peace, co-operation and justice in a broken world.' Francis was vocal on politics, speaking out against war and climate change, as he urged more focus on the poor and downtrodden of the world. His funeral last month drew hundreds of thousands of mourners, including world leaders.
