Three researchers analyzed the network of Cardinals before the last election for the new Pope.
They analyzed the cardinals based on:
- Status, measured through Eigenvector centrality (where the value of connections are weighted by the importance of your connections).
- Information control, through Betweenness centrality (where those who can mediate between groups)
- Coalition building, through a composite, using clustering and degree centrality
For each measure, they listed the top five.
The cardinal with the highest Eigenvector centrality was Robert Prevost, from the US; and now called Pope Leo XIV.
It is worth reading the short report: https://www.unibocconi.it/en/news/network-conclave
