While the pope’s funeral is scheduled for April 26, plans are already in motion to choose his successor
The world awoke on April 21 to news that Pope Francis, the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church, had died at 7:35 a.m. local time.
The 88-year-old pontiff had recently suffered a bout of double pneumonia, complicated by the chronic bronchial infections that had plagued him over the past decade. The Vatican has revealed that Francis died after suffering a stroke and heart failure not long after getting out of bed on April 21.
Behind the scenes, preparations for the next conclave—the papal election—have begun.
The papal
account on social media platform X, previously bearing the name of Pope Francis, has been changed to Apostolica Sedes Vacans, Latin for “the apostolic seat is empty.”
While Catholics around the world mourn the late pontiff ahead of his funeral on April 26, speculation has begun about a possible successor. However, the process has historically often ended with an unexpected outcome. When the most recent conclave convened to replace resigning Pope Benedict XVI, few predicted that Francis, then Jorge Mario Bergoglio, would be elected.
An old Italian saying riffs on the historical difficulties that observers have had in predicting the new pope.
“He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal,” it states.
Nevertheless, there are some expected frontrunners in the race to become the leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
A few months ago, Vatican journalists Edward Pentin and Diane Montagna assembled a
website examining some potential candidates—and their viewpoints on different issues facing the church.
Whoever is chosen will face the heavy task of guiding the Catholic Church during one of the most tumultuous times in its history, in which multiple wars and cultural clashes loom daily.
Here is a brief look at a few of the top contenders.
Cardinal Sarah
Cardinal Robert Sarah, a native of Guinea, is viewed as a conservative and champion of orthodoxy in Catholic teaching. Author of the book “The Power of Silence,” Sarah is the former head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship, which regulated the liturgical norms of the church. In 2019, he co-authored another book with Pope Benedict XVI defending priestly celibacy.Cardinal Pizzaballa
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa first came to public attention shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Gaza, when he offered himself to Hamas in exchange for the release of children being held hostage. The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, he is viewed as conservative-leaning and may appeal to centrists.Cardinal Erdo
Cardinal Peter Erdo is the archbishop of Budapest, Hungary, and is also considered as leaning conservative. At a speech before the 2015 Synod on the Family, he quoted the church teaching that “there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family” but also noted that such individuals should be treated with respect and dignity.Cardinal Parolin
Cardinal Pietro Parolin is the Vatican secretary of state and was one of the nine cardinals who made up Pope Francis’s inner circle of advisers. Parolin is the architect of the 2018 China–Vatican agreement, which gave the Chinese regime wider control over the Catholic Church in China, although the details are still unpublicized.Cardinal Tagle
Cardinal Luis Tagle, archbishop of Manila, Philippines, has long been considered a possible successor to Francis and is known for his progressive, informal approach, including singing and dancing in church. Tagle has also been supportive of the Vatican’s agreement with China, which he said is meant to “safeguard” the Catholic Church in that country.Cardinal Zuppi
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, Italy, is viewed as another possible candidate. Aligned with the more liberal wing of the church, Zuppi is seen as likely to continue Francis’s legacy if elected pope. Zuppi’s family has ties with the Vatican, while Zuppi himself has strong credentials within the church. Under Benedict, Zuppi was appointed auxiliary bishop of Rome, while under Francis, he was appointed as archbishop of Bologna, where he has served since.
