In the Sistine Chapel, the election of Leo XIV was followed by “a very long and warm round of applause.” This is what Cardinal Pietro Parolin, whom some had designated as the “future pope,” told the Italian press in mid-May, among other details.
Through his testimony, he wished to emphasize the power of the Holy Spirit, describing the conclave as guided “by a climate of prayer, fraternity, and unity.”
“We firmly believe that through the action of the cardinal electors, it’s the Holy Spirit who chooses the man destined to lead the Church. Technically, it is an election. But what happens in the Sistine Chapel, under the gaze of Christ the Judge, renews what happened in the early days of the Church, when it was necessary to reconstitute the apostolic college after the painful defection of Judas Iscariot," he wrote.
Cardinal Prevost during the conclave
Cardinal Parolin also revealed some details about the election of the new pope.
I don’t believe I’m revealing any secrets when I write that a very long and warm round of applause followed the “I accept” that made (Robert Prevost) the 267th pope of the Catholic Church. What struck me most about him was the serenity that emanated from his face in such intense and, in a certain sense, ‘dramatic’ moments, because they completely change a man's life.
He never lost his slight smile, even though I imagine he was very aware of the many and not-so-simple problems facing the Church today. We had discussed this at length during the meetings of the Cardinals prior to the Conclave, where each of the participants — both cardinal electors and non-electors — had been able to present the face of Catholicism in their country, the challenges it faced, and the prospects for the future.
And since the Church, following its Lord, is deeply rooted in the history of men and women of all times and all latitudes, the new Pope is well aware of the problems of today's world, as he demonstrated from his very first words on the Loggia of St. Peter's, when he immediately evoked peace “that is disarming and disarmed.”
Cardinal Parolin's personal experience of then-Cardinal Prevost
Cardinal Parolin also mentioned that he has been working with the new Pope for two years, and has therefore gotten to know him personally.
I’ve always felt this serenity in Cardinal Prevost. I met him at the beginning of my service as Secretary of State for a thorny issue concerning the Church in Peru, where he was bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo. I then had the opportunity to work directly with him over the past two years, after Pope Francis called him to Rome and entrusted him with the Dicastery for Bishops.
Cardinal Parolin provides some valuable insights into what may have been decisive in the choice of this new pope, particularly his experience and personality.
He’s a religious, belonging to the Order of St. Augustine, and a pastor who led the Peruvian diocese of Chiclayo for some twenty years. It therefore seems to me that he has great leadership skills, first as head of his religious family and then of part of the people of God.
He also referred to his work as president of the Dicastery for Bishops, one of the most complex dicasteries of the Holy See.
The role of geography
Cardinal Parolin acknowledges that “geography” could be another factor that attracted the attention of voters. Born in the United States, Prevost lived for several years in Italy both during the first years of his priesthood and right before becoming Pope Leo XIV. He also gained experience of the world as Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine and then, in particular, of Latin America. “One could say, in a way, that no culture is completely foreign to him.”
Finally, the eminent Italian prelate confirms what pilgrims already saw in Leo XIV's warm smile during his very first appearance. “The gentleness and serenity that were immediately noted as characteristics of his personality (...) will help him build bridges,” he concludes joyfully.
