‘Like no other’? A few media outlets have made that argument today, but it’s actually much more of a conclave like most of the others. The true anomaly came in 2013 when the conclave took place under the nominal guidance of a living pope, after Benedict XVI unexpectedly took the first papal retirement in 600 years. This time, the conclave follows the much more traditional pattern of a true sede vacante status in the Holy See.
‘Like no other’ is a reference, apparently, to the “diverse” composition of the cardinal-electors, as ABC’s commentator notes below. However, the cardinalate has always been ‘diverse,’ geographically as well as philosophically. The question this time is how that fits with the issues facing the Catholic Church, as well as those raised by the direction of the Pope Francis pontificate.
As of an hour ago or so, all of the speculation has…
