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The Age
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Inside the Conclave: How a quiet coalition delivered the church Pope Leo XIV
But Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York was all smiles after the announcement, again playing the role of kingmaker. Dolan, who had backed Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 2013, played a similar role this time, but with greater intent. According to those in the know, in the days leading up to the conclave, the American – who is generally seen as orthodox and conservative – moved behind the scenes to unify a fractured US bloc. He brought together progressive cardinals such as Robert McElroy and Wilton Gregory with conservatives including Daniel DiNardo. The negotiations were quiet, conducted largely at the Pontifical North American College. The goal was to build consensus around one figure: Prevost. A reception hosted the week before the conclave brought together English-speaking cardinals from the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Tonga, and South Africa. There, Prevost's name began to circulate more seriously. This conclave had an Anglophone accent; one observer remarked that more cardinals were saying 'good morning' than 'buongiorno'. To those watching closely, Prevost ticked every quiet box. Born in the US, shaped by decades of missionary work in Peru, and fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, Prevost offered doctrinal orthodoxy paired with pastoral sensitivity. To outsiders, he had no obvious campaign, no crude media push. But he was known – and trusted. Inside the conclave the conservative African bloc never coalesced, weakened by the influence of Francis-era appointments. The Asian votes fractured between Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Bishop Pablo Virgilio David. Tagle's hopes of a high curial role, possibly in partnership with Parolin, faded. Criticism over his administration of Caritas International may have left him looking vulnerable in the eyes of undecided electors. By Thursday's lunch break – a historically decisive moment in papal elections – the tide had turned. Prevost's appeal, moderate and measured, began to solidify. Support trickled in from across the Americas, parts of Europe, and inside the Roman Curia. He was seen not as a compromise, but as a credible centre. 'He was the ideal profile,' one Vatican watcher says. 'Not too loud, not too political – someone who could lead without dividing.' Prevost's reputation as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops played a key role. The position – sometimes described as the Vatican's most influential post after the pope – requires discretion, diplomacy and a deep sense of the church's global texture. His leadership there had been widely respected. Father Tony Banks, the most senior Australian in Rome from Prevost's Augustinian order, wasn't surprised. He met Prevost in 1981 while at university – both skipped a dull lecture for a game of tennis. 'He's a quiet man. He listens,' Banks says. Before the conclave, he messaged his old friend: 'I think you'd make a wonderful pope, but I hope for your sake it doesn't happen.' Prevost's response: 'There's no chance. I'm American.' Banks believes Prevost's formation in Latin America – paired with his administrative experience in Rome – helped bridge divides. 'He's not radical,' Banks says. 'He's moderate. He believes the new world isn't a threat to tradition, but a place for the gospel to flourish.' Not all cardinals found the process smooth. British Cardinal Vincent Nichols, of Westminster, described the early voting rounds as 'irritating', as the procession of 133 electors filing to vote tested his patience. 'Each cardinal, in a queue, goes up to the high altar at the foot of The Last Judgmen t and puts his vote in. If you do that 133 times, it takes quite a while.' 'So I learnt a bit of patience. And that patience can be creative as well as initially irritating.' Even the black smoke after the first round was delayed, he revealed, by an unexpectedly long speech from a 91-year-old cardinal.'It was splendid stuff,' Nichols told the UK's Telegraph. 'But it had been suggested that it would be half an hour at most.' Dolan, speaking to reporters the following day, looked drained but content. 'I'm not complaining,' he said. 'It was exhausting – but one of the most moving experiences of my life.' He described meeting a senior Italian cardinal on the way out of the chapel: 'He just rubbed his hands together and said, 'Now it is done.' And I thought – yes. That's exactly right.' Ukrainian cardinal Mykola Bychok, based in Melbourne, called the conclave 'unforgettable' and spoke of the solemnity behind the locked chapel doors. 'It wasn't just about choosing a pope,' he said. 'It was about the future of the church.' Of the inner workings, he remained discreet: 'This is secret. Not just for a year, for life.' As for the surprise result, he said: 'Many predictions fell apart. The Holy Spirit works mysteriously.' There had been a focus in US conservative Catholic titles such as Catholic Herald, The Pillar, and Crux ahead of the vote on Prevost's administrative past. A dossier against Prevost – released by some ultraconservative digital outlets – accused him of an alleged cover-up of several sexual abuse cases committed by a Peruvian priest in 2004. The Vatican maintains the newly elected pope's conduct was impeccable. But in secular and progressive Catholic outlets, including The New York Times and The National Catholic Reporter, Prevost's multilingualism, diplomatic finesse, and consensus-building credentials have been painted as a virtue. He performed well in the pre-conclave general congregations, drawing interest from not just American and Latin American cardinals, but also Asian and Roman Curia figures who had grown wary of the more divisive candidates. Loading At 133 members, it was the largest conclave in the Church's history. And in that gathering, Prevost's name – and steady reputation – rose quietly but firmly. By Thursday afternoon, Parolin's support was ebbing. Italian unity never materialised. Prevost emerged not as a fallback, but as a figure of consensus. 'It wasn't that he got up and made this overwhelmingly convincing speech that just wowed the body,' Cardinal Wilton Gregory told a media conference. 'But I do believe he engaged quite effectively in the smaller group conversations.' La Repubblica called him 'the least American of Americans', more shaped by Peru than by Washington. His moderate tone and global experience echoed aspects of Francis, without mimicking his style. Loading Asked whether the new pope might serve as a counterweight to current US politics, Dolan demurred: 'He's a bridge-builder, that's what the word pontiff means.' Prevost's choice of papal name – Leo XIV – was deliberate. It invoked Leo XIII, a 19th-century pope best known for Rerum Novarum, a groundbreaking document that defended workers' rights and laid the foundation for the church's modern social teaching, and Leo the Great, who once turned back Attila the Hun. It signalled strength, intellect, and unity – but not belligerence. He had reflected recently on his Spanish mother, Italian-French father, and the quiet lessons of faith in his childhood home. He spoke of love and mercy without drawing hard doctrinal lines. 'He's a citizen of the world. He reminds us that we all have our true citizenship in heaven. As St Paul taught us, and that is his role as universal pastor, where he comes from is, sort of, now a thing of the past, ' Dolan said. The conclave concluded after just four ballots and just over 24 hours, a testament to how quickly the College of Cardinals coalesced once the early favourites stumbled. Loading And as Leo XIV stepped into the light, Dolan stood near him, the strategist behind the smoke in a conclave where power moved not through noise, but through quiet consensus. It was not the campaigners or the presumptive heirs who prevailed, but the quiet cardinal who listened more than he spoke, and who, behind closed doors, found himself at the centre of history.
Sydney Morning Herald
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Inside the Conclave: How a quiet coalition delivered the church Pope Leo XIV
But Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York was all smiles after the announcement, again playing the role of kingmaker. Dolan, who had backed Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 2013, played a similar role this time, but with greater intent. According to those in the know, in the days leading up to the conclave, the American – who is generally seen as orthodox and conservative – moved behind the scenes to unify a fractured US bloc. He brought together progressive cardinals such as Robert McElroy and Wilton Gregory with conservatives including Daniel DiNardo. The negotiations were quiet, conducted largely at the Pontifical North American College. The goal was to build consensus around one figure: Prevost. A reception hosted the week before the conclave brought together English-speaking cardinals from the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Tonga, and South Africa. There, Prevost's name began to circulate more seriously. This conclave had an Anglophone accent; one observer remarked that more cardinals were saying 'good morning' than 'buongiorno'. To those watching closely, Prevost ticked every quiet box. Born in the US, shaped by decades of missionary work in Peru, and fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, Prevost offered doctrinal orthodoxy paired with pastoral sensitivity. To outsiders, he had no obvious campaign, no crude media push. But he was known – and trusted. Inside the conclave the conservative African bloc never coalesced, weakened by the influence of Francis-era appointments. The Asian votes fractured between Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Bishop Pablo Virgilio David. Tagle's hopes of a high curial role, possibly in partnership with Parolin, faded. Criticism over his administration of Caritas International may have left him looking vulnerable in the eyes of undecided electors. By Thursday's lunch break – a historically decisive moment in papal elections – the tide had turned. Prevost's appeal, moderate and measured, began to solidify. Support trickled in from across the Americas, parts of Europe, and inside the Roman Curia. He was seen not as a compromise, but as a credible centre. 'He was the ideal profile,' one Vatican watcher says. 'Not too loud, not too political – someone who could lead without dividing.' Prevost's reputation as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops played a key role. The position – sometimes described as the Vatican's most influential post after the pope – requires discretion, diplomacy and a deep sense of the church's global texture. His leadership there had been widely respected. Father Tony Banks, the most senior Australian in Rome from Prevost's Augustinian order, wasn't surprised. He met Prevost in 1981 while at university – both skipped a dull lecture for a game of tennis. 'He's a quiet man. He listens,' Banks says. Before the conclave, he messaged his old friend: 'I think you'd make a wonderful pope, but I hope for your sake it doesn't happen.' Prevost's response: 'There's no chance. I'm American.' Banks believes Prevost's formation in Latin America – paired with his administrative experience in Rome – helped bridge divides. 'He's not radical,' Banks says. 'He's moderate. He believes the new world isn't a threat to tradition, but a place for the gospel to flourish.' Not all cardinals found the process smooth. British Cardinal Vincent Nichols, of Westminster, described the early voting rounds as 'irritating', as the procession of 133 electors filing to vote tested his patience. 'Each cardinal, in a queue, goes up to the high altar at the foot of The Last Judgmen t and puts his vote in. If you do that 133 times, it takes quite a while.' 'So I learnt a bit of patience. And that patience can be creative as well as initially irritating.' Even the black smoke after the first round was delayed, he revealed, by an unexpectedly long speech from a 91-year-old cardinal.'It was splendid stuff,' Nichols told the UK's Telegraph. 'But it had been suggested that it would be half an hour at most.' Dolan, speaking to reporters the following day, looked drained but content. 'I'm not complaining,' he said. 'It was exhausting – but one of the most moving experiences of my life.' He described meeting a senior Italian cardinal on the way out of the chapel: 'He just rubbed his hands together and said, 'Now it is done.' And I thought – yes. That's exactly right.' Ukrainian cardinal Mykola Bychok, based in Melbourne, called the conclave 'unforgettable' and spoke of the solemnity behind the locked chapel doors. 'It wasn't just about choosing a pope,' he said. 'It was about the future of the church.' Of the inner workings, he remained discreet: 'This is secret. Not just for a year, for life.' As for the surprise result, he said: 'Many predictions fell apart. The Holy Spirit works mysteriously.' There had been a focus in US conservative Catholic titles such as Catholic Herald, The Pillar, and Crux ahead of the vote on Prevost's administrative past. A dossier against Prevost – released by some ultraconservative digital outlets – accused him of an alleged cover-up of several sexual abuse cases committed by a Peruvian priest in 2004. The Vatican maintains the newly elected pope's conduct was impeccable. But in secular and progressive Catholic outlets, including The New York Times and The National Catholic Reporter, Prevost's multilingualism, diplomatic finesse, and consensus-building credentials have been painted as a virtue. He performed well in the pre-conclave general congregations, drawing interest from not just American and Latin American cardinals, but also Asian and Roman Curia figures who had grown wary of the more divisive candidates. Loading At 133 members, it was the largest conclave in the Church's history. And in that gathering, Prevost's name – and steady reputation – rose quietly but firmly. By Thursday afternoon, Parolin's support was ebbing. Italian unity never materialised. Prevost emerged not as a fallback, but as a figure of consensus. 'It wasn't that he got up and made this overwhelmingly convincing speech that just wowed the body,' Cardinal Wilton Gregory told a media conference. 'But I do believe he engaged quite effectively in the smaller group conversations.' La Repubblica called him 'the least American of Americans', more shaped by Peru than by Washington. His moderate tone and global experience echoed aspects of Francis, without mimicking his style. Loading Asked whether the new pope might serve as a counterweight to current US politics, Dolan demurred: 'He's a bridge-builder, that's what the word pontiff means.' Prevost's choice of papal name – Leo XIV – was deliberate. It invoked Leo XIII, a 19th-century pope best known for Rerum Novarum, a groundbreaking document that defended workers' rights and laid the foundation for the church's modern social teaching, and Leo the Great, who once turned back Attila the Hun. It signalled strength, intellect, and unity – but not belligerence. He had reflected recently on his Spanish mother, Italian-French father, and the quiet lessons of faith in his childhood home. He spoke of love and mercy without drawing hard doctrinal lines. 'He's a citizen of the world. He reminds us that we all have our true citizenship in heaven. As St Paul taught us, and that is his role as universal pastor, where he comes from is, sort of, now a thing of the past, ' Dolan said. The conclave concluded after just four ballots and just over 24 hours, a testament to how quickly the College of Cardinals coalesced once the early favourites stumbled. Loading And as Leo XIV stepped into the light, Dolan stood near him, the strategist behind the smoke in a conclave where power moved not through noise, but through quiet consensus. It was not the campaigners or the presumptive heirs who prevailed, but the quiet cardinal who listened more than he spoke, and who, behind closed doors, found himself at the centre of history.
Glasgow Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Swinney at ‘very moving' funeral as Scots mark death of Pope Francis
The First Minister also spoke of his own experience of Christianity, saying it 'makes me who I am'. He was one of many Scots who travelled to Rome for the funeral, following the death of the Catholic Church's leader on Easter Monday. Deeply moved attending the funeral of Pope Francis. Such a privilege to convey the respect and admiration of Scotland. Pleased to meet with @moneillsf – First Minister of Northern Ireland – and Alastair Dutton Sec Gen of Caritas International formerly @sciaf — John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) April 26, 2025 More than 200,000 people gathered in the Vatican City to bid a final farewell to the pontiff, including leaders from around the world. The First Minister was invited as part of the UK delegation, as have representatives of the country's bishops. In Scotland, flags were flown at half mast from government buildings to mark the death of the 88-year-old religious leader. A minute's silence was observed at a match between Celtic and Dundee United at Tannadice. Mr Swinney spoke to the PA news agency from St Peter's Square just after the funeral. He said: 'It's been a very moving ceremony, a very dignified ceremony, paying tribute to a life of service in arguing for the protection of the poor and to support those who seek justice. 'But also an uplifting service about the hope for the world that Pope Francis conveyed.' Mr Swinney praised the pontiff's contributions on international conflict and tackling climate change, saying: 'Pope Francis gave the perfect example of leadership, a combination of spiritual leadership to the faithful and dignified leadership to the world.' Cardinals leave at the end of the funeral of Pope Francis as his coffin is seen at the right, in St Peter's Square at the Vatican (Gregorio Borgia/AP) He also discussed his own experience of religion, saying he had been baptised a Protestant but worships in the Catholic Church with his wife and son. He said: 'My wife and son are Catholics, I am not a member of the Catholic Church. 'But what for me matters is the deep anchoring of faith in my life. It makes me who I am. 'It connects me with the love of God and it also connects me with the important teachings of doing unto others as I would have done unto me. 'That drives my whole approach to life and it drives the political leadership and the national leadership I exercise as First Minister of Scotland.' He said all leaders at the requiem mass would be reflecting on the 'extraordinary life of service' of Pope Francis. Earlier, a group of young women from Scotland told how they travelled to Rome for Pope Francis's funeral to 'celebrate a great leader'. Claire, Erin and Maria – from Kirkintilloch near Glasgow – spoke to the BBC as crowds gathered for the funeral. Claire said: 'We were able to come here, we wanted to come here. 'Although it's a sad day for the Catholic Church, it's a day where we can celebrate a great leader, so we want to be part of it.'
Powys County Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
John Swinney at ‘very moving' funeral as Scots mark death of Pope Francis
John Swinney has said the funeral of Pope Francis was 'very moving' and 'uplifting' after attending the ceremony in the Vatican. The First Minister also spoke of his own experience of Christianity, saying it 'makes me who I am'. He was one of many Scots who travelled to Rome for the funeral, following the death of the Catholic Church's leader on Easter Monday. Deeply moved attending the funeral of Pope Francis. Such a privilege to convey the respect and admiration of Scotland. Pleased to meet with @moneillsf – First Minister of Northern Ireland – and Alastair Dutton Sec Gen of Caritas International formerly @sciaf — John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) April 26, 2025 More than 200,000 people gathered in the Vatican City to bid a final farewell to the pontiff, including leaders from around the world. The First Minister was invited as part of the UK delegation, as have representatives of the country's bishops. In Scotland, flags were flown at half mast from government buildings to mark the death of the 88-year-old religious leader. A minute's silence was observed at a match between Celtic and Dundee United at Tannadice. Mr Swinney spoke to the PA news agency from St Peter's Square just after the funeral. He said: 'It's been a very moving ceremony, a very dignified ceremony, paying tribute to a life of service in arguing for the protection of the poor and to support those who seek justice. 'But also an uplifting service about the hope for the world that Pope Francis conveyed.' Mr Swinney praised the pontiff's contributions on international conflict and tackling climate change, saying: 'Pope Francis gave the perfect example of leadership, a combination of spiritual leadership to the faithful and dignified leadership to the world.' He also discussed his own experience of religion, saying he had been baptised a Protestant but worships in the Catholic Church with his wife and son. He said: 'My wife and son are Catholics, I am not a member of the Catholic Church. 'But what for me matters is the deep anchoring of faith in my life. It makes me who I am. 'It connects me with the love of God and it also connects me with the important teachings of doing unto others as I would have done unto me. 'That drives my whole approach to life and it drives the political leadership and the national leadership I exercise as First Minister of Scotland.' He said all leaders at the requiem mass would be reflecting on the 'extraordinary life of service' of Pope Francis. Earlier, a group of young women from Scotland told how they travelled to Rome for Pope Francis's funeral to 'celebrate a great leader'. Claire, Erin and Maria – from Kirkintilloch near Glasgow – spoke to the BBC as crowds gathered for the funeral. Claire said: 'We were able to come here, we wanted to come here. 'Although it's a sad day for the Catholic Church, it's a day where we can celebrate a great leader, so we want to be part of it.'
The Herald Scotland
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
John Swinney speaks of ‘very moving' funeral of Pope Francis
He was one of many Scots who travelled to Rome for the funeral, following the death of the Catholic Church's leader on Easter Monday. Deeply moved attending the funeral of Pope Francis. Such a privilege to convey the respect and admiration of Scotland. Pleased to meet with @moneillsf – First Minister of Northern Ireland – and Alastair Dutton Sec Gen of Caritas International formerly @sciaf — John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) April 26, 2025 More than 200,000 people gathered in the Vatican City to bid a final farewell to the pontiff, including leaders from around the world. The First Minister was invited as part of the UK delegation, as have representatives of the country's bishops. In Scotland, flags were flown at half mast from government buildings to mark the death of the 88-year-old religious leader. A minute's silence was observed at a match between Celtic and Dundee United at Tannadice. Mr Swinney spoke to the PA news agency from St Peter's Square just after the funeral. He said: 'It's been a very moving ceremony, a very dignified ceremony, paying tribute to a life of service in arguing for the protection of the poor and to support those who seek justice. 'But also an uplifting service about the hope for the world that Pope Francis conveyed.' Mr Swinney praised the pontiff's contributions on international conflict and tackling climate change, saying: 'Pope Francis gave the perfect example of leadership, a combination of spiritual leadership to the faithful and dignified leadership to the world.' Cardinals leave at the end of the funeral of Pope Francis as his coffin is seen at the right, in St Peter's Square at the Vatican (Image: (Gregorio Borgia/AP)) He also discussed his own experience of religion, saying he had been baptised a Protestant but worships in the Catholic Church with his wife and son. He said: 'My wife and son are Catholics, I am not a member of the Catholic Church. 'But what for me matters is the deep anchoring of faith in my life. It makes me who I am. 'It connects me with the love of God and it also connects me with the important teachings of doing unto others as I would have done unto me. 'That drives my whole approach to life and it drives the political leadership and the national leadership I exercise as First Minister of Scotland.' READ MORE: He said all leaders at the requiem mass would be reflecting on the 'extraordinary life of service' of Pope Francis. Earlier, a group of young women from Scotland told how they travelled to Rome for Pope Francis's funeral to 'celebrate a great leader'. Claire, Erin and Maria – from Kirkintilloch near Glasgow – spoke to the BBC as crowds gathered for the funeral. Claire said: 'We were able to come here, we wanted to come here. 'Although it's a sad day for the Catholic Church, it's a day where we can celebrate a great leader, so we want to be part of it.'
