The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave That Changed History - Hardcover

⭐ Advance Praise and Reviews ⭐

“An engrossing, well-researched chronicle of the conclave that brought a new tone and direction to the Catholic Church.” - Publishers Weekly 

“A compelling day-by-day, ballot-by-ballot reconstruction of the conclave that elected Pope Francis.” — National Catholic Reporter

 “A carefully researched historical reconstruction of the conclave that elected Pope Francis.” — Horizons (Catholic theological review)

 “A detailed diary-like account of how the first Latin American pope was elected.” — America Magazine

"Informative and captivating... weaves many threads together into a coherent narrative." — Catholic World Report

"While Cardinal Bergoglio was largely ignored as a front-runner by almost the entire global press corps, O'Connell's deep insider knowledge uniquely and correctly anticipated his rise." — Catholic Books Review

“With his characteristic precision and humanity, O’Connell delivers the definitive narrative of how Bergoglio’s election unfolded―and what it meant for the future of the Church.”― Crux

“This book captures the drama and faith that marked the 2013 conclave, told by someone who lived it from the inside.”― Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States

The selection of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires in the papal election of 2013 made History in several ways: he was the first Latin American, the first Jesuit, and the first pope to choose the name Francis. But these “firsts” were only the beginning of a consequential papacy of historic proportions. Entering the conclave of 2013, Cardinal Bergoglio appeared on few lists of likely candidates. How then did his election come about?

Written by a top Vatican journalist, this book is an inside, day-by-day account of the process that began with Pope Benedict XVI’s surprising decision to retire and continued up to Pope Francis’s election and installation. Gerard O’Connell and his wife—herself a Vatican correspondent from Argentina—had befriended Bergoglio years before and were among the very few journalists who predicted his election. Now, relying on extensive inside sources, he reveals the basis for that confidence and shares with us what actually happened inside the secret conclave.

Gerard O’Connell is an associate editor and Vatican correspondent for America magazine. He has covered the Vatican since 1985, reporting for a number of English-speaking news outlets, including The Tablet (UK), Our Sunday Visitor, The National Catholic Reporter, and Inside the Vatican. He is the author of Do Not Stifle the Spirit: Conversations with Jacques Dupuis (Orbis).