"It Was a Beautiful Atmosphere of Brotherhood and Fellowship"
"I Don't Understand the Reform-Conservative Divide... Humanity Is What Matters"
Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, who participated in the conclave (the secret meeting of cardinals to elect the pope) to select the 267th pope, shared his experiences from that time.
On the day after the papal election, May 9 (local time), Cardinal You met with Korean reporters at the Secretariat for the Clergy in the Vatican and provided a detailed account of his direct participation in the conclave.
As the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, Cardinal You was the first Korean cardinal in about 47 years to exercise voting rights in a conclave since October 1978.
He said, "Out of the 133 cardinal electors, a candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes, which is 89 votes, to be elected pope. When it was confirmed that Leo XIV had surpassed 89 votes, everyone applauded and there was a great commotion."
He continued, "In the film 'Conclave,' the process of electing the pope is depicted as a fierce struggle and as if political deals are being made, but in reality, it was extremely fraternal, collegial, and beautiful. As the only Korean clergy member to participate in the conclave, I can honestly testify to this."
This conclave elected the new pope in the fourth ballot on the second day. Cardinal You described the situation from the first to the final ballot in relatively detailed terms, within the limits of not violating the oath of secrecy.
Cardinal Hyginus Kim is introducing the pen and document binder provided during the conclave at the Secretariat of State building of the Vatican on the 9th (local time) during a meeting with Korean reporters. Photo by Yonhap News
He said, "After the death of Pope Francis, the cardinals discussed the problems and difficulties facing the Church today in meetings. Although no one directly said who should be elected, each cardinal had someone in mind whom they hoped would become pope."
Cardinal You explained, "In the first ballot, a few individuals stood out with a significant number of votes. The field narrowed in the second ballot, and by the third ballot, it became clear who the frontrunners were. In the fourth ballot, the votes shifted decisively toward Leo XIV. Having a decisive shift is the best outcome."
Previously, when the new pope, Leo XIV, first appeared on the 'balcony of blessing' at St. Peter's Basilica, the bright expressions of the cardinals giving their blessings became a topic of conversation. Regarding this, Cardinal You said, "If I had had a mobile phone, I would have wanted to capture that scene. It was truly a festive, celebratory atmosphere."
He added, "A huge crowd had gathered in the square, I could see the Taegeukgi (the Korean flag), and the cheers were tremendous. Seeing that scene, how could anyone not feel excited?"
Cardinal You also said, "I plan to cherish as mementos the pen used in this conclave, the list of cardinals, and the instructions for the papal election process."
Additionally, Cardinal You pointed out that he does not understand the media's characterization of Pope Leo XIV as centrist between reform and conservatism.
He said, "Pope Francis approached issues such as sexual minorities and abortion from the perspective of respect for human beings rather than focusing on actions. Respect for humanity is the core value that transcends the dichotomy of reform and conservatism."
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