A Week of Firsts

A Week of Firsts | Michael Severance | Catholic World Report



The “Bergoglio comeback” and insights from Vatican-watchers into what we can expect from Pope Francis


Some of the less-experienced journalists covering the papal conclave were right on the money one week ago. As
wrote in my report last Monday, many of these young vaticanisti covering their first
conclave believed that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had a strong chance of
surging from behind to beat leading papabili
such as Cardinals Scola and Ouellet. 

They were convinced the Argentine
would have his rivincita—his comeback—in
the 2013 conclave. Their rookie rhyme was not without reason.

Their plain and simple reasoning,
not appreciated by the most experienced Vatican scholars and journalists, was
essentially this: here is a man who was the apparent runner-up in 2005, and 50
of the cardinal electors from 2005 would be present again in the Sistine
Chapel. Surely a good portion of them, say 30 to 40, would team up to recast a
Bergoglio ballot for pope. Certainly many cardinal electors still felt wronged
for having lost and desired retribution. Thus, they came to battle for their chosen
leader.

Even if this wasn’t exactly what
played out behind the closed doors of the conclave, a man known as “the quiet
thunder” would indeed come roaring from behind to be chosen in the 2013 papal
election.

To their credit, expert papal
scholars and veteran vaticanisti,
such as John Allen, Jr., did have a hunch: namely, the next pope would come
from a developing country, most likely from the New World, and with little or
no Curia experience, thus being positioned as an objective reformer without the
local friends or nepotistic considerations that can fuel corruption.

Like other experts, Allen thought
the most likely scenario involved a New World candidate who is Euro-compatible,
that is, a polyglot with plenty of first-world experience and Continental
heritage. Thus there was strong support for the Brazilian of German extraction,
Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer. Bergoglio was seen as too old, especially
considering Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had apparently indicated the need for a
younger, more energetic successor.

All said and done, it is a fairly
safe bet that Cardinal Bergolgio had very strong support on the first vote and
that he enjoyed a wave of momentum until the white smoke blew after the fifth
round on day two.  It is also a safe bet
to say the Holy Spirit gently nudged cardinal electors to reconsider Bergoglio
when, during the last of the pre-conclave general congregations, he urged his
colleagues to revitalize the Church’s sensitivity to poverty, renew her virtue
of austerity in a consumerist-materialistic society, and rid herself of sinful
corruption.

The rest is now history.

A week of firsts

Certainly, last Wednesday was not
the first time many faithful had personally witnessed the exciting Habemus Papam! pronounced from St.
Peter’s loggia.

Many folks, just like me, were
right there in St. Peter’s Square only eight years ago when a shy Benedict
appeared before a spill-over crowd. Still others, now graying and with grandchildren,
were there on John Paul I’s or John Paul II’s first day nearly 35 years ago.

Notwithstanding, this past week proved
a historic week of “firsts” for many other noteworthy reasons.

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