It cited secularism and the rise of Evangelical Protestantism in Latin America detracting from the Catholic faith, along with sex abuse scandals in Mexico, Brazil and Chile as issues important to the region.

[10] Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who was not an elector, remarked laughingly to a BBC presenter that his colleagues have been telling him "Siamo confusi – 'we're confused,'" as there were neither clear blocs nor a front-runner.

[12] Giacomo Galeazzi of La Stampa said that "Apparently a sort of tsunami of non-European candidates will fall upon the Roman Curia, and this could take the pontificate far away from Rome, making it more international.

Observers of papal elections tend to consider a few cardinals more likely choices than the others – these are the papabili, the plural for papabile, an Italian word which is practically rendered into English as "pope-able".

Christoph Schönborn of Austria,[22][23][24] Odilo Scherer of Brazil,[24][25] Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, Peter Turkson of Ghana, Marc Ouellet of Canada, Péter Erdő of Hungary[26] and Angelo Scola of Italy were among the cardinals most often identified in press reports as those most likely to be elected.

[38][39][b] In 1996, John Paul II in Universi Dominici Gregis fixed the start date of the papal conclave at 15 to 20 days after the papacy becomes vacant.

[42] The Pope also amended the conclave law to provide for the automatic excommunication of any non-cardinal who breaks the absolute oath of secrecy.

[36] Keith O'Brien, the only potential cardinal-elector from Great Britain,[f] had been recently accused of sexual misconduct towards priests in the 1980s and said he did not want his presence to create a distraction.

[55] Gianfranco Ravasi of the Roman Curia, one of seventeen[56] Cardinal Electors with Twitter accounts, suspended his social media presence on his own initiative at the beginning of the interregnum, while others posted their reactions as they assembled.

[71] The first congregation (on the morning of 4 March) focused on introductory matters, picking three assistants to the Camerlengo, the recent Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization, and a suggestion of a message of appreciation to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, with 13 cardinals giving speeches (simply in the order they had requested to speak).

The Church in the world today and the needs of the New Evangelization, the status of the Holy See and of the Roman Curia's dicasteries (its departments: the congregations, the courts, and the pontifical councils, commissions, and academies), relations with bishops, and expectations of a future pope, were discussed.

Then, 13 more speeches were given, especially on ecumenism and the Church's charitable efforts and attention to the poor, in addition to the topics from the previous meeting sessions.

This also gave the non-Italian and non-curial cardinals the benefit of getting to know their Italian and curial counterparts, and especially their other colleagues worldwide, better, which may have lessened any disadvantage they may have had in voting.

[81][82][83][84][85] Among those taking the oath were the secretary of the College of Cardinals Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri[h] and the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations Monsignor Guido Marini.

[83][84][85] On Tuesday, 12 March 2013, the cardinals present in Rome, both voting and non-voting, gathered in St. Peter's Basilica in the morning for the Pro eligendo Pontifice concelebrated Mass.

As at the previous conclave, they would swear to observe the norms prescribed by John Paul II's apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.

Then each cardinal elector in order of seniority placed his hands on the Gospels and made the following affirmation out loud in Latin:[87][88] Et ego [forename] Cardinalis [surname] spondeo, voveo ac iuro.

Sic me Deus adiuvet et haec Sancta Dei Evangelia, quae manu mea tango.In English:[89] And I, [forename] Cardinal [surname], do so promise, pledge and swear.

[i][87] A fifth cardinal, Anthony Olubunmi Okogie of the Latin Church, Archbishop-Emeritus of Lagos, Nigeria did not wear his mozzetta and was seated in a wheelchair through the procession and most of the proceedings but walked accompanied by an assistant and placed his hands on the gospels like the others when making the oath.

Black smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel's chimney indicated to the outside world that on the first ballot no candidate had received the required two-thirds of the votes cast.

[92] According to La Repubblica, Scola received approximately 35 votes to Bergoglio's 20 and Ouellet's 15,[93] while another account said that Scherer had shown strength.

Sources report that at some point, Ouellet threw his support behind Bergoglio;[92] by the first afternoon ballot—the fourth ballot of the conclave—Bergoglio became the clear front runner.

[14] Cardinal Seán Brady reported that applause broke out during the tabulation when Bergoglio's count reached the 77 votes required for election.

[100] The Cardinal Protodeacon Jean-Louis Tauran appeared at the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and announced the election of the new pope and his chosen name.

[105] At 8:23 pm (20:23) local time, the Italian Conference of Bishops released a statement congratulating Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan on his election as pope.

[106] As cardinals described the voting process, carefully suppressing details so as not to violate their oath of secrecy, one offered this assessment, that "Scola might have won" and "is obviously qualified to be pope", but there was "a very strong bias against the Italians".