Cardinal Prevost put his head in his hands as papacy loomed

As you know, a candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes — at least 89 out of 133 — to be elected,

he said

He’s a bridge-builder, that’s what the word pontiff means.”

Asked whether the new pope might serve as a counterweight to current US politics, Dolan demurred

He’s a citizen of the world. He reminds us that we all have our true citizenship in heaven. As St Paul taught us, and that is his role as universal pastor, where he comes from is, sort of, now a thing of the past,

Dolan said

It wasn’t that he got up and made this overwhelmingly convincing speech that just wowed the body,

Cardinal Wilton Gregory told a media conference

Tony Banks (musician)australian augustinian priest Father

He’s a quiet man. He listens,

Banks says

I think you’d make a wonderful pope, but I hope for your sake it doesn’t happen.” ... There’s no chance. I’m American.”

Before the conclave, he messaged his old friend ... Prevost’s response

I think in the end, a great majority was convinced of Cardinal Prevost,

said Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, a German prelate and critic of Francis

Gregory Danielcardinal Wilton

I didn’t sense in the congregations with other cardinals of the world, that the conclave was an extension of the U.S. political election,

Gregory said

Prevost, unknown to the many, was favored by a majority of the cardinals that came from abroad — he wasn’t unknown to them,

the official said

He’s a triple threat with languages. He was a missionary pastor. I think they wanted a pastor, somebody who had been a pastor,

Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich said in an interview with The Washington Post

He was maybe hindered by his excessive insistence” of wanting the job

the senior Vatican official said

Michael Czernycardinal

Robert Prevost was a missionary bishop who gave himself fully to his people and who played an important role in the church of his new country, Peru. In fact, he became a Peruvian citizen,

the Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who studied in Chicago, said in an interview Friday

Robert W. McElroycardinal

I think the impact of him being an American was almost negligible in the deliberations of the conclave, surprisingly so for me,

McElroy said at the news conference

Gregory Danielcardinal Wilton

I don’t remember any particular intervention Prevost offered to the general congregation. But he did engage quite effectively in smaller group conversations,

Cardinal Wilton Daniel Gregory, another Chicago native and the retired cardinal of Washington, said at a news conference in Rome on Friday

This conclave saw … the rise of a moderate church, seeking a balance, unity, harmony, a well-oiled curia, a collegial pope,

he added, referring to the Vatican bureaucracy

Robert W. McElroycardinal

There was a great movement on the second day, a great movement.”

Cardinal Robert

Timothy M. Dolancardinal

I was surprised at how many of my colleagues asked me... 'do you know this Roberto Prevost?'

Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, said at a press conference alongside fellow North American cardinals

Vincent Nicholscardinal

Each cardinal, in a queue, goes up to the high altar at the foot of The Last Judgment and puts his vote in. If you do that 133 times, it takes quite a while.”

At a press conference in the English College, a seminary for Catholic priests in Rome, Cardinal Nichols, 79, added

In 452 AD Leo turned back Attila the Hun on the edge of the city of Rome, so he won’t be afraid of tyrants.

And in an intriguing comment, speaking about a former Pope Leo, Cardinal Nichols said

Donald Trumppresident

You might hear that, I didn’t say it.

When asked whether he was referring to President Donald Trump, Cardinal Nichols replied