Who will be the next pope? Here are some possible candidates to succeed Francis.
Speculations about the next Roman Catholic Pope are often proven to be inaccurate. Before Francis chose the Pope in 2013, many dealers didn’t even list him as the leader.
This time, the predictions were more complicated, as Francis made many appointments in a relatively short period of time during his tenure, diversifying the Cardinal College and making movements and factions within the group more difficult.
Nevertheless, the discussion of potential names began long ago behind the Vatican walls, and observers predicted several possibilities.
Some are believed to be based on Francis’ progressive agenda, while others represent a more traditional style. Experts also suggest that the college may prefer bishops with experience in international relations complexity.
These are some competitors.
Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, is a Vatican Middle East official and is considered a possible leader. Although he didn’t become a cardinal until 2023, his experiences in one of the most intense conflict areas in the world helped him stand out.
Cardinal Pizzaballa will be Italy’s first pope since John Paul I in 1978, but experts say he is also considered an international figure and evacuated from Vatican politics, and he spent most of his career in Jerusalem.
He also usually avoids debates about doctrine, which experts say could help him secure the necessary two-thirds majority of the Cardinal College, although some think he might think he is too young.
Pietro Parolin
Pietro Parolin, 70, has served Francis as Francis’ second hit since 2013, when Francis became Secretary of State. In this role, the cardinal oversees internal church affairs and directs foreign policy.
Cardinal Palorin, a soft-spoken Italian and moderate centrist, familiar with the church’s central government and the Vatican’s vast international network, served as a diplomat and secretary to Vatican institutions, overseeing its international relations.
He has spoken at international conferences about the Israel-Palestine conflict, climate change and human trafficking.
He is also an expert in Asia, and Vatican observers believe he is the mastermind of the Vatican’s progress in establishing relations with China and Vietnam in recent years.
Fridolin Ambongo
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, 65, archbishop of Kinshasa, is considered a possible contender since Francis awarded him cardinal in 2019.
Pope Francis has long urged the Catholic Church to “go to the periphery”, which means that the church is also the most vibrant community in Africa and Asia. A continuing problem is that the church can strengthen its commitment by choosing a pope from Africa. Catholics make up about 18% of the African continent’s population and produce more theologians than any other part of the world.
Pope Francis, Argentine, was the first non-European to lead the church since 741. Even so, Francis came from a family with Italians.
However, choosing any successor from Africa involves some kind of paradox. While this would be a traditional breakthrough, Africa’s Catholic hierarchy is the most conservative.
Cardinal Alongo is close to Pope Francis, one of nine members of an advisory group called the Cardinal Council. But the Cardinal led opposition to Francis’ 2023 ruling that the church should bless gay couples.
Luis Antonio Tagle
Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, is a liberal-tilted cardinal in the Philippines, called “Asian Francis” by commentators, who have been seen as the leader in becoming the pope for years.
He was appointed cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 and will become the first pope in Southeast Asia.
Francis’ ally, the often smiling Cardinal Tagle, is on the nickname Chito. His highly personable approach is in line with Francis’s concern for the poor and those in the developing countries where he lives and works.
He accompanied Francis or prepared for his trip to Asia, including an 11-day tour of Southeast Asia and the Pacific last summer.
Cardinal Tager was widely regarded as one of the most promising candidates at the 2013 conference, but his job seemed too young at the time.
Cardinal Tagle deals with some of the most divided issues of the church, such as the joining of homosexuals and whether to communicate with Catholics who have divorced and remarried.
He served as an international meeting of the church in 2014 and the second year on the same topic, and although they remained against same-sex marriage, they agreed in the church a more inclusive approach.
Matteo Zuppi
The 69-year-old Italian cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi stood out among competitors who reflected Francis’ belief that the church should represent and support the poor.
Francis promoted the progressive Romans to cardinal in 2019 and assigned him several important tasks. Some experts speculate that Francis may prefer him as his successor, although the pope has never publicly cracked down on the matter.
Cardinal Zuppi is closely linked to Sant’egidio, a Catholic community known for serving poverty and conflict solutions.
Vatican observers say the organization becomes an increasingly important hall under Francis, and experts suspect that the cardinal’s intimacy with a strong community could help him get a vote. However, this connection also raises concerns that if elected as Pope, he would be overly influenced by the organization.
In 2015, Francis named him Archbishop of Bologna, one of the most important posts in Italy. Don Matteo is known to continue working with the poor and immigrants. “Welcome immigration is a historical challenge in Europe,” he said. “Christ invites us not to turn around.”
In recent years, Francis has appointed Cardinal Zuppi, playing a key role in Ukrainian affairs.
He also welcomed LGBT Catholics, writing a preface for the Italian version of Rev. James Martin’s 2017 book, Breading Bridge, which calls on the church to find new pastoralists to serve gay people.
Peter Eldo
Hungarian cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, is an expert in Canon Law and is expected to be the leader in the cardinals, eager to return to the conservatism of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
John Paul II appointed the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest in 2002 and gave him a cardinal hat the following year, making him (50) the youngest cardinal at the time.
Cardinal Erdo is considered a shrewd diplomat who is able to build bridges with Catholics in Latin America and Africa and is good at connecting with other religious groups. He often attended the Holocaust Memorial, and Jewish leaders said his support was crucial, which was anti-Semitism in the far right-wing anti-Semitism period in Hungary.
From 2006 to 2016, he was chair of the European Conference Committee of the Bishops’ Committee, many of his Western counterparts knew him. He also wrote several books, speaking or learning about English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish, allowing him to provide the language skills of the global flock.
He said opposition to allowing divorced Catholics to accept interaction and take over immigration.
In a 2019 length interview with Robert Moynihan, founder and editor of Vatican Magazine, Cardinal Erdo talked about the need to “guard the flame of traditional Christian faith” in an increasingly secular world.
Anders Arborelius
Archbishop Arborelius, 75, of Stockholm, transformed into Catholic at the age of 20, was the first Catholic cardinal in Sweden.
Although Sweden was once a Lutheran church and is now mostly secular, it is one of the few European countries where the Roman Catholic Church has grown in recent years. Francis’s elevation to Cardinals in 2017 was seen as another attempt to connect with the state that Catholics represent minorities.
In a recent interview, Cardinal Arborelius said the biggest challenge facing the church is to build bridges in a polarized world, have a greater impact on women within the church and help families through faith.
He also warned that political trends could split the church. “In some parts of the church, you’re split on various issues,” he said. “We shouldn’t form political parties within the Catholic Church.. ”
Cardinal Arborelius, who belongs to the religious order of Carmelit, expressed support for immigration like Frances. But he expressed opposition to blessing same-sex couples. He said in 2006 that the decision of the Lutheran Swedish church to allow such blessings would make it more difficult with the Roman Catholic Church.
