Electing a Pope

For each of the past several years, Cardinal Francis George has been gracious enough to join our Volunteers and Staff for a meal and an evening of conversation. The Cardinal enjoys learning about the Volunteers' experiences and where each of them are serving.

During the Q&A portion of the night, it's fairly common for one of the Volunteers to ask about what it's like to participate in a papal conclave - Cardinal George was one of the electors who participated in the 2005 conclave after the death of Pope John Paul II.  Once again this year, the Cardinal spoke about this unique experience. What made this year's encounter especially distinctive is that less than 2 weeks after this evening, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation.

How illuminating it is to watch this clip again, knowing that the process the Cardinal speaks of is happening once again, as this is being published!