Prevost, 69, was considered a contender for the papacy but was largely overlooked by many bettors and experts in favor of other cardinals, including Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle.

While younger cardinals are busy choosing the new pope, older cardinals are mostly waiting it out like the rest of us (cardinals over age 80 are not allowed to vote). But many have attended meetings with the other, voting cardinals over the past two weeks, so they have thoughts about the next pontiff.