Secretive Gatherings: Discussion, Influence, and Negotiation in Private Sessions to Determine the Selection of a Pope
Unsanitized, Unfiltered Insights into the 2013 Papal Conclave:
In the smoke-filled rooms of Vatican City, the cardinals huddled and schemed to choose the next leader of the Catholic Church. Behind closed doors, the contest for the papacy came down to who could garner enough votes and who could be the most convincing. In the middle of it all stood the charismatic Argentine Jesuit, Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
It was the Europeans, led by the reform-minded Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who began championing Bergoglio's candidacy at dinner parties and private meetings. Their lobbying efforts paid off when Pope Francis won the election on the fifth ballot.
However, the current archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, isn't picking up the mantle as the front-runner papal lobbyist this time around. "We're of quite different styles," he said, chuckling during an interview in the Venerable English College. "Cardinal Cormac would love to be at the center of the party. I'm a little more reserved than that and a little bit more introverted."
But Nichols, 79, is still an insider, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the cardinals' discussions and interactions during this critical period. The group meetings are open to all cardinals, including those over 80, while the conclave itself in the Sistine Chapel is restricted to those under 80.
The days before the conclave are full of opportunity for the cardinals to get to know one another. Over meals of Rome's famous carbonara, they exchange ideas, discuss the needs of the Roman Catholic Church, and share their visions for the future leader. The conversations are fluid, with opinions and allegiances shifting as the cardinals get a feel for one another.
While Nichols isn't actively campaigning for any particular candidate, he has noted that a picture of the future pope is beginning to emerge – someone who expresses the depth of the faith and its openness, someone who can bring continuity to the reforming papacy of Pope Francis.
"I suppose we're looking for somebody who even in their manner not only expresses the depth of the faith, but also its openness," said Nichols.
Despite divisions and disagreements, the cardinals share a common thread – a belief that Francis' reforming papacy and radical call to prioritize the poor and marginalized, to care for the planet and all its people, needed further consolidation with another papacy.
In the 2013 conclave, Cardinal Claudio Hummes played a key role in recommending Bergoglio as a candidate. Other cardinals may have also contributed to Bergoglio's success through their lobbying efforts. While the specifics remain shrouded in secrecy, the dynamics of the conclave involved various factions and alliances, with Bergoglio's moderate stance and charisma resonating across different groups.
As the cardinals continue their deliberations, the world waits with bated breath to see who will emerge as the next pope. The struggle for power, the quest for influence, and the search for the right candidate all play out in the shadows of the Vatican, where the future of the Catholic Church hangs in the balance.
In the realm of general-news, California-based media outlets are following the ongoing papal conclave with keen interest, as sports-like dynamics unfold within Vatican City.Cardinal Vincent Nichols, despite his reserved nature, continues to offer insider perspectives on the 2023 conclave, recounting the cardinals' discussions and interactions in a similar manner to the behind-the-scenes glimpses he provided during the 2013 conclave.Nichols, in his recent interviews, hints at a continued emphasis on continuity within the papacy, alluding to the need for a future pope who can consolidate the reforming papacy of Pope Francis, much like Bergoglio was in 2013.Politics, even within the Catholic Church, appears to maintain its intrigue and drama, as the cardinals engage in fluid conversations over meals of Rome's famous carbonara, debating the needs of the Church and sharing their visions for the future leader, all while maneuvering for influence and striving for the right candidate.
