What do you think?
Rate this book
The Election of Pope Leo XIV: The Last Surprise of Pope Francis
From the death and funeral of Pope Francis, to the underground maneuvers as cardinals arrive from around the world and various groups try to lobby and shape the selection of papal candidates to the conclave and the election of Pope Leo XIV. What can we expect of him? The authors share their predictions about how his papacy will proceed.
312 pages, Paperback
Published March 25, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 20, 2026
This was a little less entertaining than the first book, but I think they are worth reading as a set. The husband and wife co-authors, Argentine natives and long time Vatican reporters, were personal friends of Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis) and so the first book is very dramatic and emotional. This one is much more formulaic, at times getting boring as one cardinal after another gives almost cliched (though likely serious and well intentioned) analysis of the pope they are seeking. The election itself is quick, which is why the book needs so much filler. But this book has a fun innovation. It bookends the chapters, each of which is a full day in the process, with their personal routines, including what they had for dinner each night. This is serious business for Latins living in Italy. I liked it.
April 14, 2026
I know Gerard O’Connell from his excellent work with America.
This book reads like fiction and is very entertaining.
He and his journalist wife are vaticanists. Through their many experiences and contacts, they provide a behind the scene view of the work of the Conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
In their haste to publish, their editors allowed too much overlap and repetitiveness.
I love their descriptions of the food they ate during their turbulent month of front line reporting.
(I’d have appreciated more English translation of phrases and dishes)
This book reads like fiction and is very entertaining.
He and his journalist wife are vaticanists. Through their many experiences and contacts, they provide a behind the scene view of the work of the Conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
In their haste to publish, their editors allowed too much overlap and repetitiveness.
I love their descriptions of the food they ate during their turbulent month of front line reporting.
(I’d have appreciated more English translation of phrases and dishes)
May 20, 2026
my show’s on!
May 1, 2026
Bonne synthèse, mais la tendance des auteurs à la répétition et à l'autosatisfaction finit par être insupportable.
April 9, 2026
A ok book, but it’s really more a testament to Pope Francis, whose the authors knew well, than it is about the election of Pope Leo. Nothing bears this out more than the fact that Pope Francis and Jorge Bergoglio, together, is mentioned 378 times. Pope Leo and Robert Prevost, together, is mentioned 97 times.
May 5, 2026
This book is written in the form of a diary by two veteran Vatican journalists who were close friends of Pope Francis. It describes in great detail the people, events, politics and machinations leading to the election of Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV. The book covers the period from the final days of Pope Francis life until Robert Prevost’s inauguration as Pope Leo XIV. At times it dives into the weeds, while at others it discusses extraneous matters such as what the authors ate for dinner and where they dined and with whom.
The book makes it clear that the Cardinals were seeking a new Pope who would continue on the path laid out by Pope Francis. Pope Leo had served as a missionary and a pastor in South America, and leader of a religious order that had ministries around the world. This led to his selection by Pope Francis for various posts in Peru and at the Vatican, and his eventual promotion to Cardinal Bishop by Francis, for whom he became a close and trusted confidant, perhaps with the idea that one day Robert Prevost would be elected to serve as Pope. He was selected because the Cardinals believed he would follow Francis’ path of a missionary pastoral sandal church, not because he was an American. In fact, the South American Cardinals said he was one of them due to the many years that the Pope served in Peru which led him to exhibit Latino sensitivities, and become a Peruvian citizen.
This is a fascinating look behind the scenes at the secretive process of selecting the Pope about which there has been much speculation as exemplified by the book and movie Conclave.
However, it feels a bit too long as it discusses post-Conclave events. Although providing a few insights into Pope Leo’s past, character, background, and possible future agenda, the authors fill much of this section with a recitation of the events attended by the Pope, the people that he met, and his speeches. It seems that they are trying to reach a specified page count rather than providing any additional major insights about the Pope for the reader.
The book makes it clear that the Cardinals were seeking a new Pope who would continue on the path laid out by Pope Francis. Pope Leo had served as a missionary and a pastor in South America, and leader of a religious order that had ministries around the world. This led to his selection by Pope Francis for various posts in Peru and at the Vatican, and his eventual promotion to Cardinal Bishop by Francis, for whom he became a close and trusted confidant, perhaps with the idea that one day Robert Prevost would be elected to serve as Pope. He was selected because the Cardinals believed he would follow Francis’ path of a missionary pastoral sandal church, not because he was an American. In fact, the South American Cardinals said he was one of them due to the many years that the Pope served in Peru which led him to exhibit Latino sensitivities, and become a Peruvian citizen.
This is a fascinating look behind the scenes at the secretive process of selecting the Pope about which there has been much speculation as exemplified by the book and movie Conclave.
However, it feels a bit too long as it discusses post-Conclave events. Although providing a few insights into Pope Leo’s past, character, background, and possible future agenda, the authors fill much of this section with a recitation of the events attended by the Pope, the people that he met, and his speeches. It seems that they are trying to reach a specified page count rather than providing any additional major insights about the Pope for the reader.
June 8, 2026
I picked up this book because I have always been fascinated by conclaves and the process of selecting a new pope. What I found most interesting was the insight it provided into church leadership and the cardinals. I learned far more about the responsibilities, challenges, and dynamics within the College of Cardinals than I expected.
One of the highlights of the book was seeing the considerations that went into choosing the next pope. Rather than simply looking for a second Pope Francis, the cardinals seemed focused on finding someone who could continue Francis’ legacy while bringing his own personality, leadership style, and strengths to the role. I found this tension between continuity and change particularly interesting, and it gave me a greater appreciation for the complexity of the selection process.
My biggest takeaway from the book was the importance of listening. One quality that stood out to me about Pope Leo was his ability to truly listen to others. Reading about this made me realize that I would like to become a better listener myself. In a world where it’s easy to focus on what we want to say next, the ability to listen carefully and thoughtfully is something I admire and want to develop further in my own life.
Overall, this was an informative and engaging read that deepened my understanding of the Church and offered valuable reflections on leadership and human nature.
One of the highlights of the book was seeing the considerations that went into choosing the next pope. Rather than simply looking for a second Pope Francis, the cardinals seemed focused on finding someone who could continue Francis’ legacy while bringing his own personality, leadership style, and strengths to the role. I found this tension between continuity and change particularly interesting, and it gave me a greater appreciation for the complexity of the selection process.
My biggest takeaway from the book was the importance of listening. One quality that stood out to me about Pope Leo was his ability to truly listen to others. Reading about this made me realize that I would like to become a better listener myself. In a world where it’s easy to focus on what we want to say next, the ability to listen carefully and thoughtfully is something I admire and want to develop further in my own life.
Overall, this was an informative and engaging read that deepened my understanding of the Church and offered valuable reflections on leadership and human nature.
July 3, 2026
I, like many Protestants, have a certain fascination with the Papacy and its role in global affairs and world history. I’ve been to the Vatican once and marveled at the beautiful Sistine Chapel. So when Pope Francis died and the conclave began, I was glued to the coverage. Imagine my shock when the cardinals elected a Chicago White Sox fan! O’Connell and Piqué peel back the curtain and bring an insiders view of those mysterious events of 2025. The details are remarkable and could only come from two seasoned, well-sourced journalists. The layout of daily journal entries really lays bear what a remarkable slog they lived for nearly a month. When taken together, the reader is left wondering how anyone but Cardinal Prevost could have been the choice.
April 7, 2026
Cardinal Prevost was sure they wouldn’t elect an American
As a new listener of the Inside the Vatican podcast from America magazine and with Gerry O’Connell, one of the authors, I have known this book was coming for a while, and it has many interesting insights, including the Pope Francis had backed away from Cardinal Parolin and instead favored Cardinal Prevost. But it was indeed Pope Francis’ last surprise, since not even Cardinal Prevost thought an American would ever be elected as Pope. But his experience as a missionary in Peru was what softened that thinking.
As a new listener of the Inside the Vatican podcast from America magazine and with Gerry O’Connell, one of the authors, I have known this book was coming for a while, and it has many interesting insights, including the Pope Francis had backed away from Cardinal Parolin and instead favored Cardinal Prevost. But it was indeed Pope Francis’ last surprise, since not even Cardinal Prevost thought an American would ever be elected as Pope. But his experience as a missionary in Peru was what softened that thinking.
June 8, 2026
This is an interesting book packed with a number of anecdotes. But it fails as a work of journalism and is more of a partisan hack job. This diminishes both the book’s credibility and its effectiveness.
June 26, 2026
Just ok. This book is more about Pope Francis. The foreign-language footnotes are useless to me. (I will seek a book about Pope Leo XIV written by an English-speaking author.) Far too many typographical errors. Disappointing.
May 16, 2026
An inside look at the death of Pope Francis and election of Pope Leo. Some technical parts but very entertaining and educational
May 7, 2026
A fascinating look inside the election of Pope Leo XIV.
The authors, journalists, are very familiar with the Vatican and it’s various members. They were also longtime friends over 20 years of the late Pope Francis. In this wall written and detailed book the authors take us inside the election of Robert Francis Prevost as a new Pope. I highly recommend it.
The authors, journalists, are very familiar with the Vatican and it’s various members. They were also longtime friends over 20 years of the late Pope Francis. In this wall written and detailed book the authors take us inside the election of Robert Francis Prevost as a new Pope. I highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews