Stockholm, Sweden, Jun 9, 2025 /
14:30 pm
The conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV was first and foremost a unifying experience, despite the frantic pace and intrigue, said Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius.
“The conclave was a wonderful experience of unity in the Church and openness to the voice of the Spirit,” Arborelius told CNA on June 5. “It was also very well organized.”
However, one of the primary challenges for the cardinals at the conclave was getting to know one another, especially those from faraway countries.
During the general congregations prior to the conclave, when cardinals discussed the challenges that the Church and the new pope would face, Arborelius told the New York Times that the “cardinals don’t know each other so well” and that he himself felt “lost all the time.”
The cardinal explained to CNA that the College of Cardinals got “an overview of the universal Church but not so much guidance for electing a pope.”
“It was interesting to meet all the cardinals and listen to them but also a bit tiring to listen for hours,” he said.
Nevertheless, despite constant media speculation, the surprise election of then-Cardinal Robert Prevost as the 266th successor to St. Peter was welcomed by the Swedish cardinal who, as a member of the Dicastery for Bishops, knew him well.
“It was really an experience of God’s grace to see a cardinal who suddenly became the vicar of Christ, and I could feel that he was the right person, chosen by God,” the cardinal told CNA.
He also said he was “struck” by Pope Leo’s “humility and simplicity” when addressing the thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square after his election, which he said was “a sign of the Holy Spirit and his guidance.”
Within the first month of his pontificate, Pope Leo set about visiting officials from the Vatican dicasteries and offices. For Arborelius, the many meetings show that “he is a person eager to establish dialogue on so many levels.”
“I am very grateful for Pope Leo, and it is extraordinary that he has been able to achieve so much in a short period,” the cardinal said.
His election, he added, “means that we enter a new chapter in the history of the Church and we have to be open to divine providence and how Pope Leo will guide us to holiness in a secular and divided world that badly needs the Gospel.”
Arborelius said that, although he would appreciate a papal visit from Pope Leo XIV, he hopes that the new pope will be able to visit Catholics in the neighboring countries of Scandinavia.
“I am sure he will visit many countries. Maybe it is now time for the other northern countries to have a papal visit!” he said.
