Radio Curious

The Last Pope

It is no secret that the papal conclave met April 18, 2005 to elect the head of one of the world’s few remaining imperial monarchies.However, those participating in the conclave and those assisting the Cardinals who will elect the next pope are sworn to secrecy regarding all the events within this historic gathering.In this edition of Radio Curious, we visit with papal scholar David Osborn, the author of “the Last Pope” who we interviewed in June 2004.“The Last Pope” is a novel about the lives and the papal competition of two Cardinals of the Catholic Church, after the death of a conservative and long tenured Pope.In this interview David Osborn discusses the process and some of the politics of electing the successor to Pope John Paul II.When I spoke with David Osborn from his home in Connecticut, I asked him about what he believed would occur just prior to the opening of the conclave on April 18, 2005.

David Osborn recommends “Remembrance of Things Past,”by Marcel Proust.

Originally Broadcast: April 19, 2005

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