Italian newspaper writes that only in the last vote did cardinal have changed the sense of vote
The 2025 Conclave ended with an unexpected turnaround: American cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Pope, adopting the name of Leo XIV after overtaking the favorite Pietro Parolin in the fourth vote.
Parolin led until the third round with 49 votes against 38 Prevost, yet both away from the two thirds needed for the election – 89 votes.
Only the fourth vote did PREVOST guarantee the majority, in what is being seen as an answer to the attempt to choose a more conservative Pope.
Prevost’s victory was driven by a rare consensus among progressive, moderate and even conservative cardinals, who saw him as a continuer of Francisco’s legacy, but with a more moderate profile.
The new Pope, known for his missionary work in Peru, stood out among the most rated papibles, surpassing names such as Zuppi, Pizzaballa, Tagle and Aveline.
Pietro Parolin, one of the best known cardinals who acted as Vatican Secretary of State under Francis, chaired the election and was one of the names that did not fail in any of the lists of potential successors.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was elected Papa on the second day of Conclave, in the Vatican City, and took the name of Leo XIV.
Born in Chicago, United States, the new Pope has Spanish ancestry and Peruvian nationality, and belongs to the Order of St. Augustine.
