During the largest conclave ever held to choose the next Catholic pope, one cardinal has a particularly famous brother, celebrated for his roles in iconic gangster films like The Sopranos and Goodfellas.
This morning (May 8), black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, signaling that the conclave had reached an impasse and was unable to select a new pope after the third ballot, following the death of Pope Francis.
Among the 133 cardinals locked in deliberation within the Vatican are notable figures like Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, the first Ghanaian cardinal appointed by Pope John Paul II in 2003; Vincent Nichols, the former Archbishop of Birmingham and current president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales; and Timothy Dolan, who has been the Archbishop of New York since 2009.
Participating in the May 2025 conclave is Robert Alan Sirico, a priest based in the United States and the founder of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Born in New York in 1951, Sirico was initially raised in a religious environment but temporarily distanced himself from the faith during his teenage years.
Nevertheless, after diving deeper into Christian anthropology, Sirico returned to the Catholic Church in 1977 and became a Paulist priest 12 years later.
Sirico, a dedicated follower of Christ, has contributed to prestigious publications such as The Wall Street Journal, the Journal of Markets & Morality, and The New York Times. He joined the Mont Pelerin Society (MPS) in 1990.
Past members of this global academic society, which includes economists, political philosophers, and other intellectuals, feature Nobel laureates like Friedrich Hayek and prominent individuals like Ludwig Erhard and Luigi Einaudi.
Sirico also serves on the advisory boards of the Instituto Fe y Libertad in Guatemala, the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, and the Ciciv Institute in Prague, and has a highly famous brother, who passed away in 2022.
This late actor, known for his performances in The Sopranos, Goodfellas, and several Woody Allen films, was Genaro Anthony ‘Tony’ Sirico Jr.
Tony Sirico, born in 1942, began his film career with an uncredited role in the 1974 movie Crazy Joe, before taking on gangster roles in films like Mighty Aphrodite, The Last Fight, Bullets over Broadway, and Mickey Blue Eyes.
Reflecting on Tony’s passing in 2022, his brother, Rev. Sirico, stated: “It is with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and a whole lot of fond memories, that the family of Gennaro Anthony ‘Tony’ Sirico wishes to inform you of his death on the morning of July 8, 2022.
“I sensed that the end was coming. So as we sat in a private location, I pulled out a Confessional Stole from my pocket. I looked into his eyes and I said, ‘How about that confession?’”
“My brother agreed and I did one of the most significant things a priest can do for another human being. I absolved him of all of his sins.”
The conclave to elect the 267th Pope is anticipated to proceed throughout the afternoon, with the next round of voting scheduled for 4pm local time (10 am ET).
At present, it’s unclear if the conclave will extend into Friday (May 9), as a two-thirds majority is required for the election to be finalized.
The last two conclaves concluded in under three days, resulting in the elections of Pope John Paul II in 1978, Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, and Pope Francis in 2013.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is overseeing the papal conclave, is currently the leading candidate to become the next pope, according to Sky News.