The new report may be the most extensive leak ever of a papal election.
Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on March 13, 2013, during his first appearance after being elected. By Michelle Boorstein Michelle Boorstein Religion reporter Email Bio Follow March 22 at 9:40 PM A rare, leaked report about a papal election revealed great uncertainty in the 2013 picking of Pope Francis, with a huge number of cardinals getting votes — and for the first time top spots for an American and a Canadian.
Often, winners’ vote-counts get out years after conclaves, but several papal experts said this was the most detailed leak they had seen. It includes details of the scene leading up to the vote, and much more specific numbers -- how many people garnered any votes, names of many who won votes and how many they had received.
The piece, which covers only the first round, describes that vote as tone-setting — surprising cardinals with the low number for the European Scola and making clear Bergoglio was very much in the running.Some said it showed the cardinals were strongly driven by a desire for geographical diversity, as the church has been shrinking for years in Europe.
Cummings and O’Connell both said most cardinals recognized global Catholics would be skeptical of a pope from a superpower. She also noted that Americans have been voting in papal conclaves only for roughly the last century. It was a European affair until then — and Americans at times had literally missed the boat to get to Rome in time.
Several papal experts were very concerned about the leak. Catholicism teaches that the conclave is a spiritual event meant to support holy men in prayers that will lead them to a choice. The image of coalition-building and potential politicking — in other words, standard fare for an election — was worrisome to some.
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