In the wake of Pope Francis’s death on Easter Monday morning, the focus shifts to the matter of his successor. The Vatican provided its former leader with a statement that praised his “faithfulness, courage, and universal love, particularly for the impoverished and most marginalized.”
It continued: “With profound gratitude for his exemplary devotion as a genuine disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the boundless, merciful love of God, One and Triune.”
Following the nine days of mourning, during which Francis will be interred, the papal conclave will commence to elect a successor.
All 252 cardinals globally will convene in Rome for the confidential ballot, in which a maximum of 115 may cast their votes.
This is the operational procedure: The College of Cardinals is convened at the Vatican.
The cardinals convene in the Sistine Chapel and cast their votes by a confidential ballot. The Catholic leaders will cast their votes once on the initial days and four times daily on subsequent days.
The voting process will persist until a candidate secures two-thirds of the votes. The nominee must subsequently accept the offer and select their new papal name.
The conclusion will be announced to the public when white smoke emerges from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.
The nominee must subsequently accept the offer and select their new papal name.
Below are a few leading candidates:
Cardinal Luis Tagle
Tagle, 67, has been referred to as the “Asian Pope Francis” due to his perspectives closely mirroring those of the late Pontiff. He has condemned the Church’s “stringent” position on homosexuals, divorcees, and single moms.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu
Besungu, 65, is a Congolese cardinal who has previously engaged in public disputes with Francis.
He dismissed a directive from Francis advocating for the church’s endorsement of homosexual couples, contending that it “cannot be implemented in Africa without [Christians] subjecting themselves to scandals”.
He unequivocally pronounced the doctrine known as Fiducia supplicans invalid and void on the African continent.
If Besungu, the youngest of the frontrunners, were elected Pope, his leadership would certainly need a reversal of many of Francis’s initiatives.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Italian Parolin, 70, presently serves as the Vatican’s Secretary of State and has been favoured by bookmakers to assume the role since last November. He occupies a centrist position on most political issues confronting the Church and has dedicated years to diplomatic service in Nigeria and Mexico.
Parolin would be regarded as a continuation of Francis’s legacy.
Cardinal Wim Eijk
Eijk, 71, is a retired physician and one of the most orthodox cardinals in contention. The Dutchman once stated that remarrying is “a form of structured and institutionalised adultery” and has vehemently opposed Francis’s perspective on the issue.
The cardinal criticised the late Pope’s decision to permit Protestants to partake in bread and wine in Catholic churches as “utterly incomprehensible”.
Cardinal Raymond Burke
Cardinal Raymond Burke, 76, is a steadfast conservative who holds a firm conviction in the traditions of the Latin Mass.
Originating from Wisconsin, USA, Burke contends that individuals who have divorced and then remarried should not be permitted to receive Holy Communion.
He also deemed the Church’s revised stance on homosexuality, civil weddings, and contraception as “objectionable.”
Cardinal Peter Erdő
Erdo, 72, is a former President of the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe, comprising 33 prominent Bishops across the continent.
The Hungarian is a fervent Marian, indicating that he focuses his religious observances on Mary, the mother of Jesus.
He is recognised as a Conservative advocate inside the Church and opposes divorced or remarried Catholics receiving Holy Communion.
He has made several contentious assertions, including equating the acceptance of refugees with human trafficking. The eminent cardinal is proficient in Hungarian, English, Italian, French, and Latin.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi
Italian Cardinal Zuppi, 69, is seen as a favoured confidant of Pope Francis, who in 2023 commissioned him to undertake a mission aimed at fostering peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Zuppi conferred with Zelensky, but not with Putin, and subsequently travelled to the United States to visit President Biden later in the year.
He has served as the president of the Episcopal Conference of Italy since May 2022.
The cardinal possesses significantly more progressive views than many of his contemporaries, asserting in a 2018 publication that the Church should pursue discussion and comprehension with “our LGBT brothers and sisters.”
Cardinal Mario Grech
Cardinal Grech, 67, hailing from Malta, is seen as a moderate figure within the Church. He has emphasised the significance of engaging with communities that perceive themselves as marginalised by the Church owing to their sexuality or marital status.
He was elevated to cardinal by Pope Francis in 2020.