I had initially thought to move on from the Vatican stuff relatively quickly, based on rather low expectations—I thought that the Bergoglians would probably have the conclave sewn up, based on such an overwhelming number of Bergoglio appointed cardinals. Such was not the case, although it’s far too early to judge what comes next. One of the interesting things about Prevost is that, while he does have Peruvian citizenship based on his many years as a bishop there, he remains American. He has maintained his voting—a registered Republican—and has clearly followed American politics closely. The degree of his American identity can perhaps also be judged by photos of his attendance at Chicago related World Series games—baseball, a distinctively American sport.
Overnight the buzz has been regarding not only the role of the Rome based American Cardinal Burke but also of New York’s Cardinal Dolan as “kingmaker”. The famously gregarious Dolan is said to have been key in reaching out to English speaking cardinals from outside Europe and America—especially Africa and Asia. Parolin, the leading Bergoglian candidate, appears to have had only Italian and liberal Euro support. He is reported to have been effectively out of the running from the start, as the cardinals opted for a break from the Euro liberal establishment—remember, that intellectually Bergoglio was very much of that group. Exactly what an American pope will mean remains to be seen.
I offer some additional perspective here. Much of it will be from Italian sources. Keep that in mind—with an open mind—because we will be dealing with Italian perceptions of America and Americans. For my part I don’t expect a return to the Good Old Days—which were never as good as advertised. Nevertheless, we may see an openness to recovering what was good in the past and a willingness to take a fresh look at the destructive Neomodernist (heavily Hegelian) ideologies that gained control after WW2. Let’s start.
First, reports filtering out that the Bergoglians were out of the running from the start—a recognition of the catastrophe of Neomodernism that Bergoglio fronted for:
Damian Thompson @holysmoke
I’m hearing that Pietro ‘Fifty votes’ Parolin fell *very* far short of that in the first round of voting.
Does Pope Leo represent continuity or change? New Holy Smoke episode from Rome with Fr @benedict_kiely: https://spectator.co.uk/podcast/does-pope-leo-xiv-represent-continuity-or-change/
Accurate perspective—the Bergoglian strategy was always to marginalize the traditional faith:
Damian Thompson @holysmoke
Francis was a veteran, implacable opponent of the Tridentine rite. His encouragement of the priestly fraternities was part of a strategy to drive it out of parishes. But towards the end he recognised that Roche’s thuggish implementation of TC was counterproductive.
The joy of some hardline Bergoglians seems a little muted, even if they had regarded Prevost as one of their own. I think that’s because Leo has abandoned some of the attention-seeking ‘humble’ gestures of Francis, and upsetting traditionalists is right at the top of their priorities, as it was his.
Caution from Traditionalists:
Hilary White @HilarityjaneArt
He's definitely not Bergoglio. He doesn't seem to have any hint of that chaotic darkness and malice that hung about that man. But the agenda will go forward nonetheless. A kinder face & obviously a more normal personality. But the same programme in most resepcts.
Quote
De Profundis @QuiaPulvisEs
Replying to @HilarityjaneArt
Francis seemed quite comfortable - happy, even - to sow discord and division. I do not get the sense that Leo will be the same. I believe that he will roll back the policies that have caused these problems, albeit perhaps not to the extent that we'd like.
6:44 PM · May 9, 2025
Next, excerpts from an Italian language article (h/t commenter Brother Ass)—and here we start to get into more of the American angle, albeit from a wistful Italian perspective. The “American conservative cardinal” they’re referring to is Dolan. Take a lot of that with a grain of salt. Dolan is also said to have provided key support for Bergoglio back in 2013. Or maybe that shows he’s not to old to learn.
The Secretary of State entered with a package of 40-50 votes, but half the world was looking elsewhere. The American conservative cardinal is the true kingmaker
... Some hypothesize that Prevost had already come to light during the general congregations, the meetings between the cardinals who occupied the sacred college after Francis' funeral. ..., with many cardinals who barely knew the names of their colleagues.
Decisive nuances. Like the activism of the Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan who played the kingmaker, immediately focusing on that atypical figure, at the crossroads of different cultures: a father with French and Italian origins, a Spanish [Mexican] mother. And then the missionary dimension, but without losing his roots in the USA.
But his roots in America were in some ways uniquely American, as we noted yesterday: Pope Leo XIV is ‘person of color’ with surprising ancestry that traces back to New Orleans.
Dolan, according to many observers, has managed to attract voters from North and South America, especially English-speaking voters, or rather those linked to the Commonwealth, in short the old British Empire, from South Africa to India and the Tonga Islands.
... The Bergoglians presented themselves divided into different groups and were unable to propose an alternative: for example the Frenchman, also highly rated, Jean-Marc Aveline or the Maltese Mario Grech.
...
... After the first vote, something must have happened among the cardinals, particularly the African and Asian ones.
They must have seen in Prevost, ..., not the leading exponent of the world's leading power, but the best expression of a West that does not bask in the mirror but is capable of launching itself beyond its own limits.
...
A political masterpiece, but also a sign of the extraordinary unpredictability of the Spirit that blows where it wants. Disrupting all predictions.
And moving away in time the dream of bringing an Italian back - ...
But a successful papacy will need to move far beyond political maneuvering, and it remains to be seen whether Prevost has the depth of understanding to do that. He’ll have experienced advisers, but will they be wise? Time will tell.
We move on to an English language source—but one written by an Italian and very much from an Italian perspective. And here that perspective is on international relations—and a distinctively Trumpian angle arises. My first reaction to an American pope was that the Vatican—financially chaotic after the Neomodernist years—was looking for a cash infusion. Of course it’s not that simple. An American perspective tempered by decades of international experience and immersion … This is a long article and I dispense with most of the ellipses. There’s much, much more, so follow the link. Here I try to use the article to offer a broad perspective:
Robert Francis Prevost is Pope LEO XIV. A First Analysis.
Three guiding principles define him: unity within the Church, peace in the world, and social justice. However, he also carries significant vulnerabilities that could be exploited by those hostile to Christ.
Initially, most anticipated the immediate election of Pietro Parolin, or, in the case of a prolonged conclave, a shift toward a cardinal with similar capabilities to the former Secretary of State but with a less politically complex image, ...
Is Prevost a compromise pope, as some have suggested? It seems highly unlikely, in my opinion, especially given the speed with which he was elected. The cardinals secured at least two-thirds of the votes by the fourth ballot, indicating that Prevost was not a last-minute choice, emerging after failed attempts to mediate between opposing factions.
The name chosen by Prevost, i.e. Leo, strongly evokes Catholic Tradition. Many conservative and traditionalist Catholics, struck by these two elements, have in recent hours expressed sudden enthusiasm. In situations like these, it is natural for emotion to take precedence over rational analysis.
Prevost, after all, has until now been regarded as moderately progressive, as will be explored further. In the mindset of an average American priest trained after the Second Vatican Council, the name Leo essentially signifies two things: pacifism and social doctrine. Saint Leo the Great was the pope who halted Attila, the barbarian destroyer. Leo XIII was the pope believed to have inaugurated the Church’s social doctrine, ...
Peace and justice, meaning social doctrine, will very likely be two of three central themes of the pontificate of Leo XIV. This was evident from the very first words he spoke from the Balcony: “Peace be with you! (…) This is the peace of the risen Christ, a disarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering (…) God loves you all, and evil will not prevail. We are all in God's hands. Therefore, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with one another, let us move forward (…) They have chosen me to be Peter's successor and to walk with you as a united Church, always seeking peace, and justice.”
Peace and justice, then. These were two of the primary needs perceived by the College of Cardinal Electors for the new Pontificate. A pope capable of mediation, one who is more diplomatic than pastoral, in response to the grave conflicts already underway and those that may erupt in the near future.
While the cardinal electors sought a pope in 2025 who could mediate for justice and peace in the world, they were equally searching for someone capable of mediating for unity within the Church. Unity, in fact, is the third major theme that strongly emerges in Pope Leo’s inaugural address. The Church must return to a state of unity after years of deep divisions, ideological and theological disputes, and even economic conflicts that have taken shape under Bergoglio’s tenure.
The preceding—the idea that the Eurocentric Neomodernists will play nice—is a pipedream.
... it is worth remembering that Wojtyla was also expected to be a weak and easily influenced pope by many of his electors, yet he proved to be a strong leader who decisively shaped the Church’s historical course, regardless of the judgment one may have of his pontificate. In other words, once a man reaches the Primacy, there is no guarantee that he will conform to the expectations of those who promoted him.
A third scenario has also emerged in recent hours, suggesting that the true pope-maker may have been Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. He is believed to have played a key role, just as he did in the previous Conclave when he helped shape the candidacy of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, though he later became disappointed with the outcome.
According to some media reports, Dolan worked to mend the divisions within the American Church. On one side were staunch anti-Trump figures like McElroy and Wilton Gregory, while on the other were conservatives like Di Nardo and Dolan himself. They ultimately recognized that the time had come to act as a united team.
Cardinal Dolan, unsurprisingly, remarked that the future pope would be “a blend of the last three.” And with Prevost’s election, he can certainly claim to have been right. The real maneuvering is said to have taken place at the North American Pontifical College.
After securing broad support from the Americans, the decisive votes for Prevost’s election are said to have come from Asian and African cardinals—the very ones that Parolin failed to win over, despite rumors of a deal with another early frontrunner, the Filipino Cardinal Tagle. The African and Asian cardinals were reportedly undecided at the start of the Congregations, and in the end, their votes in the Conclave leaned toward the West, or at least toward a particular vision of the West.
My speculation is that the African, Latin American, and Asian cardinals will welcome a multi-polar world in which they can freely espouse the Christian values of the old West, out from under the thumb of either American and European Neoliberal hegemony or the more unitary civilizations of Russia and China. Prevost may be seen as an advocate for that who, based on his background, may be positioned to mediate between or among competing poles.
It is also possible that Prevost was supported by members of the Curia, due to the substantial donation that, according to various sources, President Trump is rumored to have made—a reported gift of 14 million dollars to the Vatican on the occasion of Pope Francis' funeral.
This sum was supposedly welcomed by the Holy See, given the estimated 70-million-euro deficit left by Bergoglio. Some viewed the donation as an act of generosity, while others raised questions about potential ulterior motives, especially considering Trump’s closeness to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, ...
Lost in Trump’s courtship of Jewish Nationalists is the fact that his open courtship of Catholics during the 2024 campaign was equally over the top.
There is one last crucial aspect to consider about Robert F. Prevost, an issue of great concern. After years in which the Church has been shaken by sexual abuse scandals, the new Pope brings with him serious accusations of covering up abuse. Sources indicate that these allegations concern his tenure as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2006 to 2010, during which he allegedly protected two Peruvian priests accused of abuse. Prevost’s accountability is also questioned regarding his time as Provincial of the Augustinians in Chicago, a case involving his friend and sponsor, the Cardinal of Chicago, Blase Joseph Cupich.
It remains uncertain whether these accusations are founded or if they are merely attempts to discredit influential prelates.
Regardless, enemies of the Church, both internal and external, could potentially use these issues to keep his pontificate under continuous pressure. As is often the case, major media outlets will likely avoid discussing the matter until Pope Leo XIV provokes a powerful figure or angers dissatisfied factions within the Church. This scenario is reminiscent of what transpired during Benedict XVI’s pontificate.
Just a snapshot of how Bergoglio stacked the conclave.
Mykola Bychok, bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Australia (with about 10 thousand parishioners) was made a Cardinal.
While Australia’s 5 million Catholics remain without a cardinal (despite historically having one) because the Sydney and Melbourne crew are conservatives.
Too boot Australia’s last cardinal passed away in Rome and was sent home in a casket naked, with a broken nose and his clothes stuffed in the casket.
America cut off their connection to SWIFT,
freezing their ability to transfer or accept money.
America picked an American Pope.