Mykola Bychok, a cardinal from Ukraine, was the sole representative from Australia at the recent conclave.

In an interview with The Guardian, the cardinal explained that the election of the Pope is nothing like the Hollywood film "Conclave," which highlights the political maneuverings surrounding the election of a fictional pontiff.

"I watched the film, but it was quite controversial, especially regarding prayer. Did you see any of the cardinals praying in it? Not once. It's all Hollywood style," he remarked.

In recent years, it has become customary to isolate the participants of the conclave. For instance, this year, mobile communication was completely shut down in the Vatican.

The bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church joked that the temporary absence of contact with the outside world was a relief for him.

"This was the best time of my life. Just try turning off your phone for at least 24 hours. Mine was off for two and a half days," the cardinal added.

Mykola Bychok was born in Ternopil, studied at the Blessed Mykola Charnetsky Spiritual Institute in Lviv, and attended seminary in Poland.

In 2004, he was ordained as a deacon and subsequently served in Russia, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk. Since 2015, he has been fulfilling the duties of vicar at the Ukrainian parish in Newark (USA).

Mykola Bychok was appointed to serve in Australia in 2020, where within a year he became the bishop of the Melbourne diocese.

In December 2024, Pope Francis conferred upon him the title of cardinal.

Previously, we discussed what the name chosen by the new Pope signifies and why pontiffs make such choices.