This may have been one of the most tumultuous papal conclaves in recent memory, with the cardinals of the Roman Church settling on what appears to be a unifying Pope, Leo XIV.
It is remarkable that Robert Prevost, an American, became Pope. It long had been held that an American could never become Pope.
But Vatican sources, who are impeccable, tell Newsmax he was the man to beat from the minute the conclave began.
Here’s what unfolded.
This conclave started last Wednesday with secret meetings in the Sistine Chapel.
But the discussions about replacing Francis began almost immediately after his death on April 21.
These meetings — general congregations — at first were comprised mainly of Vatican-based cardinals, but the numbers soon swelled as others arrived from distant parts of the world.
Sources said these meetings were very frank and, at times, quite difficult.
The open days were like "chaos," one participant said.
Francis had named so many cardinals, and many had never even met before.
Other cardinals were shocked to hear tales of mismanagement and abuses under Francis.
Though Francis had talked of dialogue and openness in the church, he did not tolerate any criticism well.
Nor did Francis have much toleration for church traditions, including the Latin Mass, which he had sought to ban.
His reprisals against priests, bishops, and cardinals who spoke out against some of his radical statements and policies were often petty and nasty.
The cardinals openly discussed these and other problems in the pre-conclave meetings.
One problem was the bad concordant made between the Vatican and China.
Some saw it as a sellout to the Communist Chinese regime, giving Beijing de facto control over the church in China.
Cadinal Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, was largely blamed for it.
And then there were financial abuse issues in the Vatican.
The Vatican has numerous financial problems, including a $1.5 billion unfunded liability for its pension system.
Several cardinals insisted the next Pope leave the Vatican hotel, Santa Marta, and return to the papal apartments.
Francis lived in Santa Marta, causing security and space issues for Cardinals and Bishops. (Leo has moved his residence back to the papal apartments.)
By the time the conclave began, Parolin, the named "front-runner" for Pope, had little chance.
One participant told me that by the day the conclave began, Parolin looked "beat up."
Another told me Parolin was a good priest, but had been "tortured" by Francis who "changed his mind every five minutes" and was notoriously difficult to work with.
Parolin had sought to resign more than once as secretary of state, but was urged to stay because he was a stabilizing force at the Vatican.
The Conclave Meets
The meeting of the conclave is secret, but inevitably word spills as to what happens there.
So it was, and I have a clear understanding of this conclave from multiple Vatican sources.
As the opening vote took place on Wednesday, it was helter-skelter.
Though quite controlling, Francis had never set in motion a plan to effectively name a successor.
Francis selected 108 of the 135 voting cardinals — an astounding 80% of them — and had he weighed in before his death with one candidate, he may have been able to push through his person.
Surprisingly, I was told, the strongest supporters of Francis had never organized to get behind one candidate.
"They were scattered all over the place," one participant told me, recounting multiple candidates on the first ballot.
As the second and third votes took place, it became clear there were only three contenders.
First was Cardinal Erdo from Hungary. Church conservatives rallied behind him, giving him an initial block of votes.
Second was Parolin, who had some Francis votes and a group of Italian cardinals behind him.
Third was Prevost.
He began strong with the backing of North American cardinals like Blase Cupich of Chicago but also brought to the ballot "all of the Latin cardinals as a block."
By the fourth vote, it was clear neither Parolin nor Erdo could win.
"The African and Asian cardinals saw where this was going and stampeded to Prevost," my source said.
Prevost won handily on the fourth ballet, securing over 100 votes. Only 88 votes were needed for him to become the next Pope.
Prevost did not accidentally become Pope. Support for him appeared to be organized.
About 10 days before the conclave, a wave of articles hit the Catholic press suggesting that dark horse Prevost could win the papal ballot.
"The first American Pope? This cardinal has the best chance of making history in this conclave," the liberal National Catholic Reporter headlined on April 30.
Though close to Francis, Prevost is seen as a church centrist.
He is liberal-leaning on economic and social justice issues, but conservative on church teachings and traditions.
Several Vatican sources have indicated that Leo will soon lift restrictions on the Latin mass.
During the general congregations, the conservative faction of the conclave liked what they heard from Prevost.
He frequently mentioned "Our Lord" and talked about the pastoral work of the church, one participant recalled.
No doubt, Prevost, as an American and somewhat unknown, was a bold choice.
Now, as Leo XIV, he is already acting as a bold Pope. Only time will tell us the rest of the story.
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