A Contest of Candidates

The papal race shifts from scattered first-round preferences through successive collapses and alliances to the unexpected victory of Benítez.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Four Names Emerge

Four Names Emerge A fragmented vote The opening ballot gives Goffredo Tedesco twenty-two votes, Joshua Adeyemi nineteen, Aldo Bellini eighteen, and Joseph Tremblay sixteen. Thirty-four cardinals receive at least one vote. No settled mandate The spread reveals a College without consensus. Campaigns begin over dinner as factions try to turn scattered preferences into a two-thirds majority.

Adeyemi’s Surge

Adeyemi’s Surge A rising candidate Adeyemi rises from nineteen votes to thirty-five, then fifty-seven. His growing support makes the first black Pope seem close and gives the Conclave a dramatic apparent direction. Momentum becomes fragile His lead depends on a reputation for strength and on the hopes of supporters across Africa. An unexpected revelation during the lunch interval will rapidly undo that momentum.

Tremblay Takes the Lead

Tremblay Takes the Lead A difficult ascent After Adeyemi’s collapse, Tremblay rises to forty votes, ahead of Tedesco’s thirty-eight. Bellini and Lomeli remain behind, and the Canadian appears positioned to gather a winning coalition. A question left open Lomeli still suspects that the late Pope dismissed Tremblay. Without corroboration, however, political momentum seems stronger than an unresolved allegation.

A Two-Man Standoff

A Two-Man Standoff A blocking position Tedesco reaches forty-five votes while Lomeli receives forty. The contest appears to have become a confrontation between an uncompromising traditionalist and a reluctant dean. A dangerous deadlock Neither candidate has the required majority. The result makes the next vote decisive in determining whether the College can escape its impasse.

Benítez Wins

Benítez Wins Votes converge After terror strikes nearby and Benítez asks his colleagues to unite, support consolidates around him. He receives ninety-two votes, well beyond the threshold. A surprising resolution A cardinal nearly unknown to the electors becomes Pope Innocent XIV. The outcome breaks the standoff without giving either established faction the victory it sought.

The evening after the first ballot

The second and third ballots, the next morning

The fifth ballot, late on the second day

The sixth ballot, on the third day

The eighth ballot, on the afternoon of the third day