Who could be the new Pope? The cardinals who might become the next head of the Catholic Church
The death of Pope Francis has set in motion a centuries-old ritual involving sacred oaths, performed by the cardinals who will elect his successor.
The process of electing a new Pope is shrouded in secrecy, with cardinals forbidden from communicating with the outside world what happens in the conclave, which takes place within the frescoed walls of the Sistine Chapel.
The pontiff’s age, along with his health concerns in recent years – including his recent complex lung infection – led to questions being asked well before his death about who would succeed him.
As is always the case, in the months and years prior to the death of a pope, a selection of candidates known as papabile emerge as the frontrunners to become the new leader of the Catholic Church.
The Vatican will convene a papal conclave, in which the College of Cardinals comes together to elect the Church’s next head.
The rules of the conclave, as of 22 January 2025, state that of the 252 cardinals, 138 qualify as electors. Only those under the age of 80 may take part in the secret ballot in the Sistine Chapel.
Four rounds of voting take place every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote, in a process that typically lasts around 15 to 20 days, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
There are already a number of well-known cardinals whose names have been put forward to fill the role. In 2020, Edward Pentin released an authoritative book on the topic, titled The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates.
But candidates known as papabile have risen and fallen even since the publication of that book. Favourites entering the conclave rarely emerge as Pope, which has spawned the Italian adage: “Enter the conclave as Pope and leave as a cardinal.”
In fact, of the last six conclaves only Pope Benedict in 2005 would emerge as Pope having entered as the favourite. So many will be looking at the compromise candidates as a possible successor to Francis.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
As the Vatican’s secretary of state since 2013, 70-year-old Cardinal Parolin, from Veneto, is the highest-ranking member of the electing conclave. Rather than adhering to “left” or “right” political leanings, Cardinal Parolin has long been considered a sensible, moderate figure within the Church.
Most recently, Cardinal Parolin gave an interview with Italian newspaper L’Eco di Bergamo in which he commented on a number of geopolitical issues.
He said: “Everyone can contribute to peace, but solutions must never be pursued through unilateral impositions that risk trampling on the rights of entire peoples, otherwise there will never be a just and lasting peace.”
