Dear Cardinal Electors

I'm a Catholic industrial/organizational psychologist. Here's how I'm thinking about the Conclave.

None of the 133 cardinal electors who will pick the next pope have any idea who I am. That’s fine. But this week as they enter the Conclave, the process for picking the man who as the successor of Peter the Apostle will lead the Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion members worldwide, I have some unsolicited thoughts they might want to consider.

For three reasons, I might have a unique take on the Conclave.

First, I’m an industrial and organizational psychologist. That means I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time during the past almost two decades studying and helping organizations with myriad aspects of the people side of organizations—including selecting people for key positions.

Second, I’m a fairly senior officer in the U.S. Navy, and as such, I’ve participated directly in a number of selection boards. These Navy “conclaves” aren’t in Rome (they’re in Millington, Tenn.), but they do involve rigid processes, consequential decisions about who gets promoted and who does not, and even oaths of secrecy. After observing or participating in one, people often use one word to describe the approach toward these selection boards: sanctity. That’s simply to say that we take it very seriously.

Third, I’m Catholic. One of my personal heroes is Pope Saint John Paul II—a man who inspired the world and changed history during the course of his 26-year papacy from October 1978 to April 2005. I care a lot about the Church, and I have a personal interest in seeing it flourish.

So, cardinal electors, here are some unsolicited suggestions.

Photo by iam_os on Unsplash

1. Job First, Candidates Second.

It’s tempting in any selection scenario to start by evaluating different candidates and comparing them with each other. It might be especially tempting when you know the various candidates—and when you yourself are a candidate. But it’s not the best idea to focus on candidates first because doing so can make you think less about the job the person needs to do and more about how they might stack up alongside their peers on some unrelated criteria.

So take a moment during these next few days, cardinal electors, to consider deeply what the job of pope really entails. I’m sure this has already been a big part of your thoughts and prayers, but really try to keep it at the forefront of your mind. Then, do your best to use that analysis—what the job actually involves—as your standard, your criteria by which you can prayerfully consider candidates.

How might we think about the job of pope? I suggest a few categories of what we might consider “job performance” for the pontiff. As cardinal electors, you certainly have far more insights on the details of each of these, so perhaps consider these simply as ways to organize or start your thinking. These categories include:

1. Being the Vicar of Christ. The pope literally is the human representative of Jesus Christ on Earth, so he must be a man of extraordinary spiritual depth, courage, ethical and moral fiber, empathy, and love for all of humanity.

2. Leading a worldwide enterprise. The Catholic Church is massive, and the world continues to change in meaningful ways. The pope must recognize these dynamics and navigate among them, considering the myriad cultures and regions of the world within which the Church operates.

3. Managing an executive staff. Being pointed in the right direction is paramount, but if the pope wants to get things done, he’ll need to direct a staff to channel his influence appropriately.

4. Representing the Catholic Church and its teachings across all nations and peoples. Being pope is a highly public role that includes high media interest, public speaking, writing, diplomacy, and interactions with world leaders.

I could go on, cardinal electors, but I’m sure you get the idea. Start with the job of pope itself and what performance in that role involves. Although one could likely fit much of what the pope does within one of the four categories listed above, it’s entirely plausible that other categories exist. The crucial point is to identify them in some detail—before you start thinking about candidates.

2. Consider KSAOs and indicators of those KSAOs.

Now that you’ve analyzed the job that the next pope will need to tackle, cardinal electors, break it down a bit further. These means taking those various aspects of job performance and considering the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) a person would need to do the job well. Then, you’ll want to consider potential indicators of those KSAOs—which you can then start using to consider candidates.

For example, being the Vicar of Christ likely involves deep theological and biblical knowledge coupled with the ability to incorporate those many aspects of knowledge into one’s identity, personal habits, and patterns of behavior with others. Potential indicators of these KSAOs might include formal education and training, prior reputation and performance as a bishop or cardinal, and how he has handled (or mishandled) various crises or challenging moments in the past, both personally and professionally.

Leading a worldwide enterprise, cardinal electors, is no easy feat. Some KSAOs associated with this aspect of the job include intelligence, the ability to understand and influence others, and exemplary written and oral communication skills. Political savvy is also a must—not at all in the sense of being manipulative—but in the sense that the next pope needs to be able to navigate complex situations in which many people will often have competing agendas and potentially hidden motives. Potential indicators of these KSAOs likely come from past performance along with examples that are a matter of record (e.g., written works, speeches, and documented events).

Similarly difficult is managing an executive staff. Being organized and having a sense of how to get work done through others is important, particularly given that the next pope will have many other daily concerns—on top of his own spiritual needs and intense daily prayer. Potential indicators of these KSAOs also likely come from past performance. Ideally, one might have such insights from teams that a candidate has managed in the past—but I imagine such data might be difficult to obtain.

Finally, cardinal electors, representing the Catholic Church and its teachings across all nations and peoples is part of the papal role that includes KSAOs such as knowledge of world politics, skills in multiple languages, and relationship-building skills. Communication skills too are important in this category as well. Potential indicators of these KSAOs may include the degree to which candidates are conversant and up-to-date regarding world affairs including the challenges of various nations and their different governing systems along with demonstrations of past experience leading across different types of boundaries.

Of course, cardinal electors, various other KSAOs may come to your minds given your deep experience and prayerful insights. What’s key in my mind is the process through which you go about thinking these matters through. Start with the job, then the KSAOs, then the potential indicators of those KSAOs. That way, you’ll have a consistent way and set of criteria to think through the various candidates in an organized manner.

3. Pray, take breaks, and eat snacks.

I have three final suggestions, cardinal electors.

First, pray. I’m sure this one is obvious to you. It’s also built into the Conclave process. But above all, we need the Holy Spirit to guide your decision. You are human—as is the next pope. Although our history is full of saintly popes, we’ve also had a few really bad ones. We need a good one.

Second, take breaks. None of you are young men. According to ChatGPT, “As of May 2025, the age range of the cardinal electors participating in the upcoming papal conclave spans from 45 to 79 years old. Cardinal Mykola Bychok, aged 45, is the youngest elector, while Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, nearing his 80th birthday on May 16, is the oldest.” My experience with selection boards in the Navy suggests that it’s a highly demanding process in terms of your brainpower. Take some breaks along the way. It’s fine if the Conclave takes a while.

Third, eat snacks. While on your breaks, have a healthy snack. Stay away from sugary treats as they’ll make you want to take a nap after an hour or so.

Above all, I wish you and our Church all the best. May God be with you and your colleagues as you enter this process.

No pressure, cardinal electors, but don’t mess it up.

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Details about the Conclave from EWTN and an infographic from CNN

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