The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave That Changed History

by Gerard O’Connell

The selection of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires in the papal election of 2013 made history in several he was the first Latin American, the first Jesuit, and the first pope to choose the name Francis. But these “firsts” were only the beginning of a consequential papacy of historic proportions. Entering the conclave of 2013, Cardinal Bergoglio appeared on few lists of likely candidates. How then did his election come about?Written by a top Vatican journalist, this book is an inside, day-by-day account of the process that began with Pope Benedict XVI’s surprising decision to retire and continued up to Pope Francis’s election and installation. Gerard O’Connell and his wife—herself a Vatican correspondent from Argentina—had befriended Bergoglio years before and were among the very few journalists who predicted his election. Now, relying on extensive inside sources, he reveals the basis for that confidence and shares with us what actually happened inside the secret conclave.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction

431 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2019

Reviews

[Marc Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into the conclave that elected Pope Francis. Having read it and thought about what the cardinals were looking for in the next Pope - I can't understand why there is as much resistance to Francis as there is!

[Joe Boenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canadian newscaster for CTV, who covered the resignation of Benedict XVI and the election of Jorge Bergoglio as Pope Francis, put together a chronicle of the events from his notes and interviews during the period spanning the announcement by Pope Benedict of his determination to resign (Feb 11, 2013) to the installation of Pope Francis (March 19, 2013).

The author's wife is also a journalist, and an Argentine. Both were good friends of "Padre Jorge" for years before the papal election of 2013, and their relationship with the Jesuit Archbishop of Buenos Aires that would become pope adds layers of perspective, background, human interest. The book covers all the speculation over the most likely candidates as reported in the international press and media, but also the insights of close friends of Cardinal Bergoglio who read the events very differently. Gerard O'Connell shows the personality of the new pope and his pastoral history, which would lay the foundation for a new kind of papacy, and a Catholicism "close to the poor".

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part historical, part anecdotal, this was an engaging recounting of the events of February and March 2013, when Benedict XVI resigned the papacy and was succeeded by the charismatic Cardinal Bergoglio, who we now know as Pope Francis. It offers a sympathetic view of Pope Benedict, who anguished over his decision to resign. Most of the book is details about the events leading up to the actual conclave that elected Francis. It dragged a bit leading up to the conclave as there were just endless pages retelling what different journalists were reporting. Some of this was interesting and necessary even, but eventually I wanted the author to get on to the conclave, which only happens in Part Three. Basically, almost no one suspected Cardinal Bergoglio would become Pope. I remember this being the case. I was very nervous reading through the conclave section even though I knew what happened. The writer really conveys the anxiety of the electors during the process, and this part of the book was a real page-turner.

It should be noted that the author is a journalist and a friend of Pope Francis. He succeeds in his depiction of the Pope's humility and personal likability. Overall, a brisk good read.

[Rev. M. M. Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

The election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Cardinal-Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as Pope was a first on many fronts. He was the first man from the Americas to be elected; he was the first Jesuit; the first pope of the modern era since the Reformation to be elected following the resignation of his predecessor; and the first to choose the name Francis. This book gives a bird's eye view of the events surrounding those historic days from the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI to the Inaugural Mass of Papa Francesco.

It's no secret that there is an intense curiosity about the election of a pope. The personalities involved, the arcane procedures evocative of the Middle Ages, and all the pomp and ceremony attract attention. The election of Pope Francis was unique in living memory since it was not preceded by a papal funeral. Retiring to Castel Gandolfo, Benedict XVI watched the events on television. In reading the book, I was fascinated by the amount of speculation about the election in the world press. For some reason, I always thought it was an American obsession akin to our interest in presidential politics. As O'Connell points out, the interest is worldwide, especially if a country has "a horse in the race" if one of their cardinals is seen as a contender for the office.

The book is well researched and well documented. Short of an account by Pope Francis himself, anything else would just be fiction.

[Robert Showers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because I needed a quick read on vacation. I'm glad I did! The author is a skilled journalist, clear analyst and a personal friend of p. Jorge Bergoglio. The book is thoroughly researched. O'Connell read thousands of articles in half a dozen languages before, during and after the conclave so you don't have to. This is augmented by the many interviews he has done with Bergoglio and many of the cardinals. The author treats "inside information" with respect. His portrait of Pope Francis is respectful but not fawning.

O'Connell reveals how the themes of Pope Francis' papacy became clear within the first week of his papacy, and were in fact the same as the themes of his episcopacy. As provincial of the Argentinian Jesuits, Bergoglio was considered conservative. At the conclave of 2005 (which elected Benedict XVI), some cardinals considered him a leftist radical. O'Connell shows how Bergoglio did, indeed, develop clarity over time, but mostly it was the Catholic hierarchy in general which moved sharply to the right in the same years.

O'Connell's book shows, therefore, not only the uniqueness of Pope Francis, but also what a true resourcement he brings.

[Disclaimer: as a Franciscan friar who has had the privilege of studying with some of the current voting cardinals and a disciple of professor Ratzinger, I was an immediate fan of Pope Francis.]

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up during the conclave that elected Francis' successor, and am glad I did. O'Connell provides a behind-the-scenes look at the 2013 conclave that ended in Pope Francis' election. The book does a great job with a couple different tasks: highlighting the various fissures in the Catholic curia, which go well beyond easy "conservative vs. liberal" designations; explaining the rituals and customs of a Papal election; and providing details of the specific votes of each round of balloting, information that was supposed to be kept in secret by the cardinals.
My one quibble with the book is a stylistic one - O'Connell toggles between journalistic accounts of events as they happened, and a historian's omniscient review of events past. It's not always clear when he's in which mode, which can be a bit confusing and raised my suspicion that mixing the two allows him to accredit later opinions to earlier moments. But that's a relatively minor issue in an otherwise interesting and well-written book.

[Abbie Real Dimaano · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to finish this book. I started reading it when it first came out but I got distracted by other books so I parked it for a while. I revisited and continued reading it after I’ve seen the Two Popes in Netflix last December

The book is a full account of the days and weeks leading to the election of Pope Francis. It had the full details of what happened after the resignation of Pope Benedict VI until the inauguration of Papa Francesco. It revealed the sacred voting inside the Sistine Chapel and also the politics and issues surrounding the election of a s Supreme Pontiff.

Interesting, well-researched and informative. Catholics will also love this for the learnings, prayers, and scriptures.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I happened upon this book at the library after I watched The Two Popes movie on Amazon. Although the movie was fiction, I wanted to see how much it was based on facts about Pope Francis. This book is a play-by-play of the conclave -- and a good one! I enjoyed the author's perspective and clear, journalistic writing style. It was easy to read and not mired down in details that only Catholics would appreciate or understand. It was very accessible and interesting and made me want to read more about Francis.

[Silvio Magino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very excited to read this book since I'm very interested in the whole process of electing a new Pope and the politics behind it.

Gerard O'Connell gives an in-depth analysis of what happened every day, from the week when Benedict XVI. resigned the Papacy to the General Congregations where Cardinals discussed the state of the Church and what they were looking for in a new Pope all the way to the first week of Pope Francis 'in office'.

[Paul Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me feel good. Pope Francis is such an intrinsically good person that it is refreshing to read about how he surprised the world (and himself) to become pope. This book helped me relive the excitement and happiness I felt when the first Jesuit was announced as pope.

It was interesting to learn what qualities the Cardinals were searching for in the future pope and understanding what they perceived the most critical issues were facing the church. This book helped me appreciate the universality of the Catholic Church.

[Jill M Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent account of the conclave that elected Pope Francis. Because Mr. O'Connell and his wife had been personal friends of the Pope for many years before his election, it is written from a perspective few others could ever have. Everything Mr O'Connell writes is thoughtful and detailed, and this book is just that. If you thought Conclave the movie was exciting, read a true account of one conclave.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good account of the election of Pope Francis and the time immediately before and after the election. The day-to-day diary style of the book could be slightly repetitive and wasn’t ideal from a flow standpoint. The book, though was well researched and serves as a good historical record of the Conclave events. Recommended.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very throughly researched by an insider who certainly knows his stuff. But it's way too detailed, and let's repetition and tangents get in the way of the story. It would have been a far more compelling read had it been distilled to half it's size.

[Lorenzo Pedro · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoyed Conclave last fall, you’ll see that secrecy and power struggles behind the Vatican’s walls are real. Gerard’s close friendship with Francis offers an inside look into the 2013 conclave — when Bergoglio became Francis yet remained true to himself.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though i know the outcome, this book reads like a novel. Wonderful exposition of the development of the election and the events following. It was lije being there.

[Cristina Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed understanding how Francis was evolving since not being a candidate until being chosen Pope

[Patrick J. Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely thrilling. Must-read for everyone going through a papal hyper-fixation. Watch Sorrentino’s two shows and then read this.

[Jacob Lipeles · Rating 4 out of 5]

had to brush up on a few things

[Fernando Soto-Dupuy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante pero muy detallista que aburre sobre todo en los días antes del Conclave.

[Adriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside bases all by a Vatican insider, though I suspect the likable Gerrard O’Connell doesn’t have room for baseball in his Irish sensibilities. A well-written account about the rise of Mario Bergoglio to the chair of Saint Peter. And a great backgrounder for anyone interested in the life of Pope Francis.