Laudato rezus Christus and welcome to GloriaTV News.
Team Bergoglio
Austin Ivory writes in a not yet published biography of the Pope that there was a highly
organized campaign by a small group of European cardinals to elect Cardinal Bergoglio Pope.
He calls the group Team Bergoglio.
Its key members were the liberal Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, then 80 and without
a vote in the conclave, and Cardinal Walter Kasper.
Ivory is a former press secretary of Murphy O'Connor.
How it happened?
According to Ivory, the team Bergoglio learned from the conclave of 2005.
They first secured Bergoglio's assent.
He answered that at this time of crisis for the church, no cardinal could refuse if asked.
Murphy O'Connor warned him to be careful.
Bergoglio replied, I understand.
The team Bergoglio started touring the Cardinals' dinners to promote their man.
They argued that his age should not be considered an obstacle because popes could resign.
Lobbying the Cardinals
Cardinal Murphy O'Connor's role included lobbying the Cardinals from North American
and from Commonwealth countries.
Having understood from the 2005 conclave, the team Bergoglio knew that votes travelled
to those who made a strong showing out of the gate.
A key turning point came during the meeting of the cardinals before the conclave, when
Bergoglio gave a short but moving speech about the state of the church.
Black and White In the 2005 conclave, Cardinal Bergoglio was
the runner-up, having been put forward by an alliance of mainly European left-wing cardinals.
But, its election was prevented by what Ivory calls a dirty tricks campaign by opponents
from Argentina.
This remark can only refer to Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the prefect of the Congregation for
the Oriental Churches.