Leading the Catholic Church, a global institution with billions of adherents, is a significant responsibility. Several cardinals are considered potential successors to Pope Francis.
Earlier today (April 21), the Vatican confirmed the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.
Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell expressed “deep sorrow” in announcing the passing of “our Holy Father Francis.”
“At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” he stated.
He added, “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.
“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.”
As the Church enters a period of mourning, discussions about who will become the next leader have begun.
The successor will be chosen by the College of Cardinals, a group of senior Catholic clergy.
This group convenes for a papal conclave, where they participate in a secret ballot up to four times a day in the Sistine Chapel.
There are over 240 cardinals worldwide, and the number of electors for the pope is usually limited to 120. Only cardinals under 80 years old can vote, although they hold the title for life.
However, Al Jazeera reports that there are currently 138 eligible voters.
A candidate must secure a two-thirds majority to be elected the new pope.
According to The Independent, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website suggests this process typically takes 15 to 20 days.
Who are the potential candidates to lead a Church with up to 1.39 billion followers?
Cardinal Burke, an American prelate, is both a bishop and a cardinal in the Catholic Church.
A known traditionalist and conservative, Burke has been at odds with Pope Francis on issues like divorce, remarriage, and the Church’s stance on the LGBTQIA+ community.
Pope Francis advocated for more acceptance of gay individuals, a stance Burke strongly opposes.
Cardinal Erdö, hailing from Hungary, is seen as the leading conservative candidate within the Roman Catholic Church.
A traditionalist, he emphasizes uniting with Orthodox Christians and maintaining a focus on faith.
He has held the roles of Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate of Hungary since 2003.
“His emphasis on unity and his role as a bridge between East and West have solidified his standing as a significant Church leader,” according to The College of Cardinals report.
Cardinal Mendonça, a Portuguese prelate, became an archbishop in July 2018 and a cardinal in October 2019.
Since 2020, he’s been part of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, and in September 2022, he was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Institute for Christian Archaeology.
At 59, he is among the younger members of the College of Cardinals and is also a university professor and poet.
He aligns with the ‘progressive’ wing of the Church, similar to Pope Francis.
Cardinal Parolin, Italy’s Secretary of State for the Holy See, was closely associated with Pope Francis.
Serving as the Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013, he “sensed a call to the priesthood at a very early age and entered the seminary in Vicenza when he was fourteen,” according to The College of Cardinals report.
Before his current role, he worked in diplomatic service, visiting countries like Nigeria, Mexico, and Venezuela to share the Pope’s messages.
The Italian prelate, serving as Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since November 2020, was made a cardinal by Francis in 2023.
He shares “a number of similarities” with the late Pope, as noted by The College of Cardinals Report.
He opposes clericalism, is concerned for migrants, supports interreligious dialogue, and has environmental concerns, believing that the Church should be open to all, with faith as the starting point.
As Archbishop of Rabat, Morocco, the Spanish prelate has held this position since March 2018 and was elevated to cardinal in October 2019.
Cardinal Romerto has focused much of his work on advocating for migrants’ wellbeing.
Cardinal Tagle, a Filipino prelate, was the Archbishop of Manila from 2011 to 2020.
He has been the Pro-Prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization since June 2022, and President of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious since December 2019.
Aligning with the progressive wing of the Church, similar to Francis, he often addresses social justice issues from the pulpit.
The College of Cardinals report notes, “Tagle often uses the pulpit to respond to issues of social justice, but his positions on moral matters appear somewhat incoherent. On the one hand, he railed against a Filipino ‘Reproductive Health’ bill, albeit less strongly than some of his fellow bishops, that introduced anti-family and anti-life policies, and he has spoken strongly against abortion and euthanasia.”
“On the other hand, he holds that some situations exist where universal moral principles do not apply, as in the case of Communion for couples who live together conjugally but without sacramental marriage, and issues relating to homosexuality.”
And finally…
