As the world awaits white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, Wexford-based priest Fr Billy Swan has shared his thoughts on the papal conclave currently underway in Rome. Speaking earlier to Alan Corcoran he spoke of his own past experience of the election process, Fr Swan explained that this conclave may take longer than usual due to the unprecedented diversity of the College of Cardinals, many of whom are meeting each other for the first time.
“The College has never been so global,” he said, pointing to Pope Francis’s inclusive appointments from across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. “With so many different voices and backgrounds, it might take a little longer for consensus to emerge.”
Fr Swan suggested that given the Church’s growth in Africa and Asia — and its relative decline in Europe — a non-European pope is increasingly likely. He named several possible contenders, including Cardinal Tagle of the Philippines and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa of Jerusalem, though he acknowledged “anything could happen.”
Reflecting on Pope Francis’s legacy, Fr Swan emphasised the critical role of the papacy in today’s divided world. “The world needs the papacy now more than ever — to speak a word of peace, of unity, and of human fraternity,” he said.
The conclave continues with multiple rounds of voting each day, and should no pope be elected today, black smoke will signal no decision — a scene Fr Swan recalls vividly from his time in Rome, calling it a “beautiful and solemn ritual.”
