Fifteen Days in Rome: How the Pope Was Picked [WSJ e-book: "From the End of the Earth to Rome."]

Wall St. J ^ | April 12, 2013 | STACY MEICHTRY and ALESSANDRA GALLONI

[Steelfish]

April 12, 2013 Fifteen Days in Rome: How the Pope Was Picked The inside story: From the Red Room where Bergoglio's name was first dropped to a faithful night on Rome's Piazza Navona

By STACY MEICHTRY and ALESSANDRA GALLONI

Though the public paid little notice to Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, his name had made the rounds among a small group of cardinals who had descended upon Rome from different parts of the globe to choose a new pope.

On Feb. 27, a mild, dewy morning, Alitalia Flight 681 landed at Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome after 13 hours in the air. A balding man with gray-white wisps of thin hair stepped out of coach class. He wore thick-rimmed brown glasses, black orthopedic shoes and a dark overcoat. He had a slight limp, and his back was stiff from the long flight. His belly was a bit swollen, due to many decades of cortisone treatments to help him breathe after he had lost part of a lung as a young man. No one could see the silver pectoral cross he wore under his coat, though it was the symbol of his authority.

The Wall Street Journal's new e-book, "Pope Francis: From the End of the Earth to Rome," chronicles the unlikely ascension of Jorge Mario Bergoglio to the papacy. With original reporting by a team of journalists around the world, the Journal takes an in-depth look at the man charged with leading the Catholic Church in a time of challenges. Pre-order the book now at popefrancisthebook.com

Back home in Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a prominent figure, the highest-ranking Catholic prelate in his country and to many a beloved figure known especially for his work in the city's teeming slums. Here he was one of ...

[onyx]

Very interesting and this comports with other articles I’ve read.

Thanks very much, Steelfish.

[Steelfish]

Very welcome.

[prairiebreeze]

Great article.