S'pore Cardinal Says Being Part of the Conclave Was a 'Beautiful' Experience

William Goh Is First Singaporean to Take Part in Voting Process for New Pope

- Sarah Koh

Amid the cheering in St Peter's Square and excitement from Catholics across the world on May 8, the election of a new pope also brought about another element: surprise.

The newly elected Pope Leo XIV—or Cardinal Robert Prevost as he was known then—became the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Church.

Within the hallowed walls of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, where the election process known as the conclave took place, the surprise was not lost on Singaporean William Goh, who was one of the 133 cardinals who took part in the voting.

"He was not one of the well-known candidates for the papacy... and most of us did not know him except for those perhaps from Latin America or Rome," said Cardinal Goh, referring to Pope Leo.

But discussions about the pope's nationality do not matter, he said, as the pontiff's role is to be a symbol of unity and to serve the Church and everyone else.

Cardinal Goh became the first Singaporean to vote for a new head of the Roman Catholic Church. Now back in Singapore, the 67-year-old archbishop described the experience as "beautiful" during an interview with The Straits Times on June 4.

"I went in without knowing exactly what I would be doing, and how this whole process would evolve," he said.

"(But) I went in with a great sense of responsibility that being one of the 133 electors, the person we chose to be next pope would have serious implications—not just for the Church, but for the world."

Although Pope Leo was elected in just two days, the preparation process that preceded the vote took nine days, when all 252 cardinals—both electors and non-electors—gathered to share with one another their views, concerns and challenges that each country faces.