[traes]

Sure, but there clearly wasn't much concern if an American got 2/3rds of the vote on day 2. They didn't have to elect a new pope this quickly.

[kijin]

130+ cardinals aren't going to be stuck in Sistine Chapel for months just to assuage some hypothetical concerns about America.

[tekknik]

At one point they took the roof off of a building because they were taking too long. Another, they changed their diet to bread and water. In one instance they stopped their pay until they decided.

You should look into the history of choosing a pope, it’s wild.

[m4rtink]

Well, they used to take quite a bit longer in the past.

[watwut]

They had to. They are locked there, isolated, until they elect. That is how catholic pope elections work. Their job is to elect and then move on their normal duties and interactions.