conclave

“It felt like I was joining a conclave.”

The Pope was chosen as the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, following a two-day conclave in Vatican City.

Given the present political atmosphere, it’s easy to comprehend why the machinations surrounding this papal conclave were more of a culture-wide watch today than they might have been last autumn, let alone eight years ago.

Being sealed off from the world in the conclave to choose the new Pope was "immensely peaceful", England and Wales's most senior Roman Catholic has told the BBC.

Her husband Joseph agreed: "When you're elected Pope you come here as a cardinal for the conclave but then things never go back to the way they were," he said.