Pope Leo XIV: This is how Cardinal Prevost was elected at the conclave

The Vaticanisti analyze statements from various conclave participants to draw conclusions about the election process. Pietro Parolin, considered a favorite by many, initially received fewer votes than expected. In contrast, Prevost performed strongly and reached second place, supported by the groundwork of some cardinals in the pre-conclave.

Conclave: Progressive and Conservative Votes for Cardinal Prevost

Thus, the Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx, considered progressive in the Vatican, who spoke at least three times in the pre-conclave, advocated for Prevost at private meetings in his Roman residence. Marx highly valued Prevost for saving the German Synodal Path at the end through a compromise formula, while Prevost's predecessor Marc Ouellet had taken a hard confrontational course with the German Catholics' reform project. However, Marx's advocacy for Prevost was likely also influenced by the precarious financial situation of the Holy See. This is particularly important to the German cardinal as head of the Vatican's economic council, and he knows that it can hardly be managed without additional American help.

At the other end of the church-political spectrum, Italian Vaticanisti report that the very conservative Curia Cardinal Raymond Burke was convinced of Prevost's orthodoxy during a meeting. Thus, Prevost entered the race as a cross-faction candidate from the start. Later, votes were added that were initially scattered among several candidates. For instance, the Philippine Curia Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle initially performed reasonably well. Other initially "highly regarded" candidates like Pierbattista Pizzaballa (Jerusalem), Matteo Zuppi (Bologna), Mario Grech (Synod Secretariat), or Jean-Marc Aveline (Marseille) ended up in the low double-digit or even single-digit range.

Dolan as Kingmaker for Cardinal Prevost?

Already at dinner on Wednesday and in the hours thereafter, further support for Prevost was mobilized. Here, the New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan played an important role. He ensured that Prevost was seen as a candidate among the other cardinals counted in the conservative camp, who not only represented continuity with Francis (as a missionary among the poor in Peru). Dolan himself, as he recounted, had barely known Prevost until the pre-conclave. But when he was repeatedly approached about the man from Chicago with the long missionary work in Peru, he thoroughly informed himself about him. And what he found apparently convinced him. Among conservatives, Prevost, who is also rather conservative in moral theological and canon law matters, was identified as a beacon of hope: He could ensure that the Vatican returns to normality in dogmatic, liturgical, and canon law matters after the at times erratic governance style of Pope Francis, according to the view.

Cardinal Prevost Already Ahead of Favorite Parolin in 2nd Ballot at Conclave

Such a return was vehemently demanded by several speakers, especially on the last day of the pre-conclave. Complaints about the unpredictability of the late pope and his tendency to make solitary decisions without sufficient prior consultation had, as participants said, almost led to a posthumous "Francis-bashing." In the second ballot on the morning of May 8, Prevost already had more votes than Parolin, so he clearly indicated that he wanted to transfer his "vote package" to Prevost. The French Cardinal Aveline reacted similarly. In the third ballot, Prevost then gained further votes, especially from the "synod camp" around Grech, as well as several votes from Africa. Here, his time as a missionary in Peru and as the superior of the Augustinian order, which is very active in Africa, paid off. Already in the third ballot on Thursday noon, it was clear that Prevost was almost uncatchably ahead. That was probably the point when Prevost, as Dolan later candidly told journalists, threw his hands over his head and began to come to terms with the inevitable.

More Than 100 Votes at Conclave for Cardinal Prevost

During the lunch break, he apparently already began to write his first speech on a college block, which he would later mostly read from the sheet after the election in the evening. In the fourth and final ballot in the afternoon, Prevost finally received more than 100 votes. How much more than 100 it was, speculation varies. Since several cardinals spoke of a "surprisingly broad" consensus, some Vaticanists suspect it must have been more than 110. Others infer from the more restrained jubilation of their informants that it was "just over 100." Either way, Prevost clearly exceeded the minimum number for the two-thirds majority, which was 89.

(APA/Red)

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