▁rather ▁than ▁in ▁the ▁elegant ▁bishop ' s ▁residence ▁in ▁the ▁sub urb ▁of ▁Ol ivos . ▁He ▁took ▁public ▁transport ation ▁and ▁cook ed ▁his ▁own ▁me als . ▁He ▁limited ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁Rome ▁to ▁" light ning ▁vis its ". ▁He ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁be ▁devoted ▁to ▁St . ▁Ther ese ▁of ▁Lis ieux , ▁and ▁he ▁en closed ▁a ▁small ▁picture ▁of ▁her ▁in ▁the ▁letters ▁he ▁wrote , ▁calling ▁her ▁" a ▁great ▁mission ary ▁saint ". ▁ ▁After ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II ▁died ▁on ▁ 2 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Berg og lio ▁attended ▁his ▁fun eral ▁and ▁was ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pap abile ▁for ▁succession ▁to ▁the ▁pap acy . ▁He ▁participated ▁as ▁a ▁cardinal ▁elect or ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁pap al ▁conc lave ▁that ▁elected ▁Pope ▁Bened ict ▁XVI . ▁In ▁the ▁National ▁Catholic ▁Re porter , ▁John ▁L . ▁Allen , ▁Jr . ▁reported ▁that ▁Berg og lio ▁was ▁a ▁fr on tr un ner ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁conc lave . ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁Italian ▁magazine ▁L imes ▁published ▁claims ▁that ▁Berg og lio ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁runner - up ▁and ▁main ▁ch allen ger ▁to ▁Card inal ▁R atz inger ▁at ▁that ▁conc lave ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁received ▁ 4 0 ▁votes ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁ball ot , ▁but ▁fell ▁back ▁to ▁ 2 6 ▁at ▁the ▁fourth ▁and ▁decis ive ▁ball ot .