In the coming weeks, Rome will become the center of the world once again. One of the most famous Roman proverbs says: "Chi entra papa al conclave esce cardinale" (He who enters the conclave as pope comes out as cardinal.) This means that one should never be sure of victory until it is truly achieved. Roman popular tradition portrays the pope accompanied by the entire clergy.

This is a small circle that, for a long time, held the "temporal" power—that is, political power—over the city and the state to which the Eternal City belonged. In the history of the conclave, many cardinals have entered convinced they would leave as pope, only to depart as cardinals. In recent times, a European pope was chosen (the Polish Wojtyła and the German Ratzinger), and for the first time, a South American pope (the Argentine Bergoglio, though of Italian descent).