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In the Network of the Conclav: How we "guessed" the Pope using network science
How network science can help us understand who will be the next Pope. The study by Soda, Iorio, and Rizzo reveals how status, information and alliances influence the papal election.
A group of Bocconi scholars—Giuseppe Soda, Alessandro Iorio, and Leonardo Rizzo—attempt to answer these questions with academic rigor and scientific tools that are unprecedented in this context. At the center of the network graph displayed in the study, there is a high density of connections between cardinals with a “soft liberal” orientation and a good geographical distribution, with Europe and South America still very present, but with Asia and Africa becoming increasingly strategic. But knowing the structure of ecclesiastical power today is a valuable tool for understanding which way the wind might blow, leading to the consensus in the Conclave necessary to elect Pope Francis' successor.
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