If Roman Catholic cardinals have not picked a new pope by day three of next week's conclave, then things are not going to plan. Short conclaves wrapped up in a couple of days project an image of unity,

The secret vote that elected Pope Gregory X lasted from November 1268 to September 1271. It was the first example of a papal election by “compromise,” after a long struggle between supporters of two main geopolitical medieval factions — those faithful to the papacy and those supporting the Holy Roman Empire.