Before Pope Francis died April 21 at the age of 88, this writer watched 'Conclave,' the papal drama starring Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini. While some bristled at the plot twist at the end, this writer enjoyed the movie and found it a fairly accurate glimpse into the secretive, ancient tradition that pics the next Holy Roman Pontiff.
Now, a thread citing 'Church insiders' provides background on how this real-life conclave played out, and it's just as dramatic as a Hollywood film.
The Election of Pope Leo XIV:
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
A fractured Bergoglian-wing, organized resistance by conservatives and a united front of U.S. cardinals allowed Robert Prevost to ascend to the papacy.
This thread, based on conversations with Church insiders, details how the conclave transpired. pic.twitter.com/gY7cJ4NkLf
Bergoglio was Pope Francis' birth name, for those unaware, and he had his supporters.
I. Introduction:
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
Steps from Saint Peter’s Square, secretive talks were being held by cardinals ahead of the following week’s conclave. The rotating electors shuffled in-and-out of the apartment of the 76-year-old Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, who was one of 133 men that would… pic.twitter.com/LfWz4Yfs03
The post continues:
The rotating electors shuffled in-and-out of the apartment of the 76-year-old Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, who was one of 133 men that would soon be voting for the next leader of the Catholic Church.
And some more history:
Two years earlier, the then-Pope Francis threatened to withdraw the Vatican-subsidization of Burke’s apartment, a move that many traditionalists described as retaliation for the conservative cardinal’s outspoken criticism of the Argentine pontiff. But the week before the… pic.twitter.com/05nz1plQO7
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
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But the week before the conclave, the residence was the headquarters of an organized operation aimed at blocking Francis’ wing of the Church from reclaiming the papacy.
That's very good news.
Burke himself was viewed in many conservative circles as a papabile (an unofficial Italian term used by Vatican insiders to describe a potential candidate to be elected pope). Other traditionalist candidates were being floated such as Péter Erdő of Hungary, the desired pick among… pic.twitter.com/7Lk1fdKjHy
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
For a while, Burke was a possibility (although, up until last week, this writer would've never believed an American would be elected Pope).
Months before Francis’ passing, it was evident that it would be nearly impossible for a traditionalist to win the next conclave (requiring a two-thirds majority, which would amount to 89 votes among the 133 electors, the largest conclave in Church history).
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
Conservatives were… pic.twitter.com/jDkRbplzX7
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Conservatives were talking amongst themselves as early as December 2024—when Francis elevated 21 bishops to the College of Cardinals, including 20 cardinal-electors—about how they would approach a future conclave. The conversations intensified when Francis was hospitalized with pneumonia two months later.
It was clear Pope Francis had stacked the deck against someone like Benedict XVI coming back into papal power.
The updates from Francis’ medical staff at Gemelli Hospital in Rome varied. On some days, the 88-year-old would show improvements. On others, he’d suffer setbacks (it was only after his discharge from the hospital on March 23rd when doctors revealed they considered ending… pic.twitter.com/7RvkgSfGnK
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
This writer created his obituary draft on February 18, because it seemed that grim.
II. The Electors:
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
Pope Francis would pass away on April 21st, less than one month after being released from the hospital. His final public appearance was delivering his Urbi et Orbi blessing on Easter Sunday from the loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica—the place where his successor… pic.twitter.com/T5SuPuAvY2
This writer's son was in Rome for Easter and took some of the last video and pics of Pope Francis. It's still surreal, almost a month later.
The morning after his death, the first General Congregation of the College of Cardinals took place. Around sixty cardinals already in Rome gathered in the Synod Hall to finalize the plans for Francis’ funeral. The coming days would be the first time many of these men met each… pic.twitter.com/PNus1Q6DC8
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
This next one is important:
The first truth was that the divides in the Church were not as simple as left versus right ideological dynamics. Topics raised over the twelve meetings included the Vatican’s financial troubles, dwindling membership around the globe, divisions within the Church and synodality… pic.twitter.com/lEjX62O41w
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
The post continues:
... divisions within the Church and synodality (the process of democratizing the Church’s mission by including the input of priests, bishops and lay people).
Cardinals in attendance disagreed on how to prioritize and approach these issues, and the differences were just as diverse among geographical lines as they were ideological.
It's far more complex than Left versus Right.
The second truth was the realization among the Bergoglian-wing of the Church that there was no consensus on who should succeed Pope Francis. The liberal-leaning coalition knew the numbers worked to its advantage and saw an opportunity to install a pope that aligned with its… pic.twitter.com/WMO77vbvCS
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
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The liberal-leaning coalition knew the numbers worked to its advantage and saw an opportunity to install a pope that aligned with its vision of the Church. But who?
Cardinal Pietro Parolin was seen as the front-runner, but some cardinals saw viable replacements. Malta’s Mario Grech was floated as a more progressive option; Jean-Marc Aveline of France was proposed as a candidate that would continue Francis’ legacy but didn’t come with the same baggage as Parolin; Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle of the Philippines was seen as an exciting pick that could bring enthusiasm to younger Catholics and extend the Church’s reach into Asia.
Tagle would've been a terrible choice.
The third truth, and most troubling for the Bergoglian-camp, was the gradual understanding that many of the cardinals elevated by Francis were not as loyal to his mission as initially believed. Fifteen of the eighteen cardinal-electors from Africa were elevated by Francis, but… pic.twitter.com/bpldhlmoL6
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
The African cardinal-electors are very, very conservative. They raised a stink over Fiducia supplicans, the papal document issued by Pope Francis regarding same-sex blessings.
Francis broadening the representation in the Church through the College of Cardinals brought with it diverse worldviews. The 108 cardinal-electors elevated by Francis were fractured, and it created an opportunity for traditionalists to capitalize on the divisions. The splintering… pic.twitter.com/KNOqPyOg9C
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
Divide and conquer.
III: The Italians:
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
An Italian had lead the Catholic Church for 455 years before the election of Polish Cardinal Karol Józef Wojtyła—who would take the name Pope John Paul II—in 1978. Following the elections of Benedict XVI (Germany) and Francis (Argentina), many Italians believe… pic.twitter.com/xlQbPsZ1AF
Italy has ruled the papacy for a long time.
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin was seen as the strongest contender. As Francis’ secretary of state, he could be counted on to continue the Bergoglian vision of the Church; moreover, he had the bona fides as an experienced diplomat who could navigate its return to the global… pic.twitter.com/Wmcc5D67fs
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
But, as stated above, he had baggage.
Parolin’s allies began campaigning on his behalf, starting by focusing on the Bergoglians. The pitch was that the Italian from Venice was already the front-runner, and if other cardinals quickly threw their support behind him and produce a quick victor, it would signal to the… pic.twitter.com/FyZL6YTKY5
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
What this writer wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall.
Parolin’s camp knew he was a vulnerable candidate. His name was associated with two of Francis’ most contentious hallmarks of his papacy: (1) the controversial-turned-criminal London land deal that lost the Vatican $150 million; and (2) the secret agreement with the Chinese… pic.twitter.com/RTVHOoGiDM
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
The Chinese agreement is problematic. It gives the communist government control over the Church and turns a blind eye to the persecution of Catholics.
IV: The Americans:
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan arrived in Rome on the morning of Wednesday, April 23rd, to attend the funeral of Pope Francis that upcoming weekend. His American colleague, Burke, was already working to block a progressive from ascending to the papacy. Dolan,… pic.twitter.com/DBjfFIMqA4
Cardinal Dolan is the unsung dealmaker of the Conclave.
There had long been a taboo against a pontiff coming from the United States in fear that the position could be politicized by handing it over to a geopolitical superpower. But with the Vatican’s finances in a dire situation, and donations from the U.S. declining, a pope with a… pic.twitter.com/3MJOTrlslY
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
Which is why this writer was genuinely stunned when an American was elected.
Conversations surrounding the prospect of an American successor to Francis began shortly after his hospitalization. A viable contender could not be viewed as being too American and would need to have connections to the rest of the world, the Roman Curia and the Bergoglian-wing of… pic.twitter.com/5nVdcJ2308
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
'Could not be viewed as being too American' -- Cardinal Prevost, who is also a naturalized citizen of Peru -- fit that bill.
Farrell, 77, born in Dublin, Ireland, was selected by Pope Francis in 2019 to be the camerlengo, the Vatican official who runs the Holy See after the death of a pope and before the election of another. His profile was rising in the aftermath of Francis’ passing. But his work as… pic.twitter.com/LuL0r8QExU
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
But Farrell had ties to disgraced Cardinal McCarrick, who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019.
Prevost, 69, born in Chicago and a naturalized citizen of Peru, had his career fast-tracked by Francis who appointed him the prefect of the Vatican’s powerful Dicastery for Bishops—the organization tasked with vetting nominations for bishops around the world—and elevated him to… pic.twitter.com/1GqVTLyIQP
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
Prevost became the American's preferred candidate.
The first step was making sure that everyone was onboard. Given Prevost’s reputation as a moderate—and his ties to Francis—this proved to be relatively easy. This became clear as the American cardinals gathered at the Pontifical North American College in Rome ahead of the… pic.twitter.com/fLAE8PnJhN
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
Let the deal-making begin.
The Americans’ ten votes on the first ballot would be enough to put Prevost’s name in the running. A larger alliance would send a signal to the rest of the electors that his candidacy was for real. Momentum on the second ballot, the Americans believed, could seal his fate. pic.twitter.com/WWgdSc6Vah
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
Dolan, at a “Commonwealth” reception held for English-speaking cardinals, worked to broaden the coalition. He held intimate conversations with electors from Africa, Asia and Latin America and persuaded them to throw their support behind Prevost. The Americans had rallied their… pic.twitter.com/MiEdbFLWUn
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
This writer is fond of Dolan, and not just because he was once her archbishop.
This is where it gets really interesting.
V: The Conclave:
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
The first ballot on Wednesday, which produced the first black smoke, established that it was a two-way race. It’s believed that Parolin had the most votes (40-50) with Prevost in second and Erdő a more distant third. Other liberal candidates—Aveline, Grech,… pic.twitter.com/ivHkDtqedi
So from the first ballot, it was a two-horse race.
Allies of Parolin were scrambling to unite the Bergoglian-wing of the Church. They believed that if there was a significant increase building on his current lead, the rest of the electors would fall in line. Time was against them. The cardinal-electors wanted to produce a quick… pic.twitter.com/pHd5ASCijE
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
And the second ballot didn't help Parolin.
Instead, the second ballot produced little momentum. The Bergoglian-wing of the Church was splintered, and Parolin was not seeing the substantial gains he needed. As the votes consolidated, it was becoming increasingly clear that the conservative blockade was real, and a… pic.twitter.com/wfH6kUplrK
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
And then, by the fourth ballot ... Cardinal Prevost knew he was the one.
As the fourth ballot unfolded that afternoon, the reality of the situation set in for Prevost. He began breathing heavily. Cardinal Tagle of the Philippines turned to him and asked, “Do you want a candy?” He accepted. New Jersey Cardinal Joseph Tobin, who has known his American… pic.twitter.com/xoi2DGECeG
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
Imagine the weight of that moment.
The senior cardinal, Parolin, was tasked with approaching Prevost after acquiring the two-thirds majority needed to win the election. The two men, eye-to-eye, finalized the process.
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) May 13, 2025
"Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?” Parolin asked.
“Yes,” responded… pic.twitter.com/twUPEWbczu
And the rest, as they say, is history.
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