While the pope’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday, 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.
Celebrities and heads of state immediately took to social media to express their condolences and share fond remembrances of the first Latin-American pontiff.
Meanwhile, 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 Pizzaballa
- Cardinal Erdo
- Cardinal Parolin
- Cardinal Tagle
- Cardinal Zuppi
By Stacy Robinson and Joseph Lord
