Praying in Rome: Reflections on the Conclave and Electing Pope Francis

by Timothy M. Dolan

The Archbishop of New York offers his insight on his time in Rome, the Conclave and the election of a new Holy Father, Pope Francis.Since February 2013, many have asked Cardinal Timothy Dolan to comment about Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, his final days in the Vatican, the Conclave, and the excitement and joy of the election of Pope Francis. Those two months--between the time Pope Benedict announced his retirement up until the election of Pope Francis--were a deeply spiritual and important period for the Cardinal. In this eBook original, he reflects on that most exciting of times. By turns, witty, provocative, and inspiring Cardinal Dolan gives a first hand account of what happened during those days and what it means for the future of the Church.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Catholic, Memoir

39 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Timothy Michael Dolan (born February 6, 1950) is an American Cardinal prelate of the Catholic Church. Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, Dolan serves as the tenth and current Archbishop of New York.

Cardinal Dolan served as the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2010–2013 and was granted the titular position as Cardinal-Priest of Nostra Signora di Guadalupe a Monte Mario (English: Our Lady of Guadalupe of Mount Mario) in Rome.

Dolan is widely known for his conservative values and charismatic media personality. He previously served as Archbishop of Milwaukee from 2002 to 2009, preceded by service as an Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis from 2001 to 2002. Time Magazine named Dolan one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" for 2012.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pope is not a “boss” who tells us what to do but a shepherd who invites us to walk with him on a journey toward eternal life. As John Paul II observed, “The Church only proposes, never imposes.”

A jovial and sometimes sober behind the scenes account of the selection of a new pope by the College of Cardinals known as the Conclave. Displaying joy by being one of the youngest members to the explanation of their exclusive accommodation, and the final click of the lock shutting the door to Sistine Chapel where the voting will be conducted. Dylan’s observation is one of the best that sheds light to the one most secret and oldest voting traditions.

[Miguel Panão · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, it’s been years since I laugh out loud (lol) so much because of a book. Tim Cardinal Dolan is simply amazing in how he tells us his story between knowing that Pope Benedict XVI would resign, the conclave and the election of Pope Francis. It’s like we’re living every minute with this wonderful, insightful and humorous person. Do you want to take a peek inside the life of a Cardinal? Read this book. It takes only an hour ... literally!

[Richard Grebenc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth $2 and less than 45 minutes of your time. No earth-shaking revelations (I had hoped for a bit more than the snoring cardinal in the next room) but some wonderful insights and reflections on Benedict, Francis, the papacy, with even a little JPII thrown in. Cardinal Dolan's voice really comes through here as his plain spoken style is evident in every paragraph.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cardinal Dolan presents us with a short but revealing document about his first hand experience at the conclave which resulted with Pope Francis. He is breezy, informative and easy to read. He provides reflections on the tenure of Benedict, and his first person anecdotes are of interest. He accurately notes the contrast in style and practice between Benedict and Francis. This volume would be an apt companion to Robert Harris' ripping yarn Conclave.

[Evieve S · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was very well written and super informative! i loved learning more about the conclave and all of the specifics and behind the scenes that go on with that. coincidentally i did meet the author, his eminence cardinal dolan, without knowing he was the author of this book until a week later!

[Tom Barmaryam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just alright.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Praying in Rome is a brief e-book, which addresses the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI, the time leading up to the Conclave, the Conclave itself, the election of Pope Francis, and people's reactions to Pope Francis. With each of these topics, Cardinal Dolan shares his personal thoughts and feelings. The book reads like a personal journal or diary in that it contains both reverence and humor. One example of this is his mention of hoping he doesn't run out of clean socks, while waiting for the date of the Conclave to be announced.

The part of the book I enjoyed the most was Cardinal Dolan's opinion on the "five key lessons that Pope Benedict left behind for us to cultivate." I won't tell you all five. You'll have to buy the book for that, but Lesson #5 spoke to me the most. With his retirement, Pope Benedict XVI taught us that, "It's not about him, or you, or me, or us. It's about Christ. It's about the Church." This is a lesson I need to be reminded of frequently. It's easy to get wrapped up in a me-first world, especially with a blog, but it's not about me!

There were parts of the book that I didn't like, but these are small and probably just the result of me splitting hairs. He tries to downplay his importance in the Church on the third page with the statement that "People are kind when it comes to how connected they think I am to the Vatican." However, he then goes on to say that he's had the privilege of meeting the Pope rather often. He also speculated that this would be his only Conclave to participate in. At 63, he must expect Pope Francis will live to 93, plan on retiring before he hits 80, or know something about the Second Coming that we don't know.

Overall, this was a fair book, which I would give 4 stars. I had to read through it twice, because it rubbed me wrong the first time I read it. I'm not sure why exactly, but I attribute it to previous aggravation with the U.S. Cardinals talking to the media so much. Luckily, the book is a quick read at thirty minutes to an hour. If you want to see inside the head and heart of a Cardinal who was tasked with electing Pope Francis, this book is for you.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was excellent. First of all, it's relatively short. As I read it on my Kindle, I can't give you an exact page number, but I feel as if it couldn't be more than two hundred pages at the absolute most. It's entirely possible that it's less than a hundred. Either way, it's definitely a quick read. I would have been finished with it much faster if I hadn't been so busy while reading. If you want something short to read in one sitting, I would definitely recommend this book for that.

In addition to being on the shorter side, I loved the writing style. It's written in a very conversational style that I loved. It's not formal at all. It's also very honest. It's intriguing to read about the conclave from the point of view of one of the cardinals, and since it was Dolan's first conclave, his views on it is even funner to read. He is fascinated by everything happening, and that helps make the reader just as fascinated. His writing style makes me want to check out his other books as well. I'm a big fan of it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about the conclave from the point of view of someone who was there. I think it's a fascinating look at an event that few actually get to witness, and the writing style in this book is great. I just all around loved this book, and I would recommend it to just about anyone who has any interest at all in the conclave. As I said, it's a quick read, so it can't hurt to check it out and see if you like it.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/20...

[Domenico · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll never know exactly what goes on inside a papal conclave because the cardinals take a solemn oath of secrecy, but this is the closest you'll get. The affable Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York provides this brief e-book as a reflection on his participation in the recent election of Pope Francis, the legacy of Pope Benedict, and the initial impressions of Pope Francis' pontificate. With his characteristic earthy, bombastic, and self-effacing style, Cardinal Dolan takes us through moments both spiritual, amusing, and informative to show how the papal conclave is both human and Divine--- just like the Church. This book is useful as both a primary source for an historical event and as a spiritual primer for how we should see our new Pope, and is well worth the read.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cardinal Timothy Dolan was named Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. Praying in Romed is Cardinal Dolan's reflection on his first conclave (and he believes his last) and the election of Pope Francis. It is a very easy 45 minute read and is written in a relatable, and lay approach. His emotions range from, how will I manage my schedule, do I have enough socks to last during the conclave,wow! the Cistine Chapel is stunning, to this is the most important thing I have ever been blessed to do. He also provides insights into the new Pope Francis simplicity and sincerity, and how he wants to refocus our attention to the importance essentials of loving and servicing the poor.

[Fred Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether Catholic or not, folks curious about the inner workings of the 2013 Papal Conclave that elevated Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to the Chair of Peter might find Praying in Rome, a concise, accessible account by U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, enlightening. The affable Cardinal Dolan relates his experience of the Conclave, his first, with a light touch and good humor, concluding with his personal perspective on Pope Francis.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entertaining, educational, and spiritual. Cardinal Dolan has a good sense of humor and he definitely let it shine in this book. The book is matter of fact and to the point and pretty short. You don't get to find out specific details about the conclave, but he did a good job of providing details that he can.

[Bobbi Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful

A personal reflection of the Cardinal's first process of participating in the selection of a new Pope. He provides of the foundational basis and doctrine in an easy to read and fast paced prose. Well done and will read more books by the Cardinal!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing Cardinal Dolan's thoughts on the conclave experience and about his interactions with Pope Francis. Wish it were longer.

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fascinating Book

I loved reading Cardinal Dolan's experience in the conclave. With wit and insightful descriptions, I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good summary of the election of Cardinal Bergoglio to the Chair of Peter--told in first person by one of the electors.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief, funny, interesting.