Conclave: Behind-the-Scenes Investigation of a Flash Election

No one expected a North American pope. It was an unwritten rule, insiders say, that a Jesuit and an American were out of the question. One half of the firm principle was broken in 2013, the other half on May 8, 2025. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, from the Chicago area, was not even on the list of reliable experts. However, white smoke rose surprisingly quickly from the temporary chimney of the Sistine Chapel.

The conclave of May 7 and 8 has not yet delivered all its secrets. But two weeks after the election of Leo XIV, our reporters in Rome try to trace the dynamics that led to the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost.

You are the cardinal and archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan. The conclave in which you participated chose Pope Leon XIV. How do you feel at the end of this first experience? Dominique Mathieu: I am pleased that I had the honour of enjoying the grace to discern, in prayer and collegiality of the cardinals ...