Selection process/ Who will be the next Pope after Francis?

2025-04-21 16:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Pope Francis died on Monday morning, the Vatican announced, days after being released from hospital after undergoing treatment for a complex respiratory infection. He was 88 years old.

His demise, 12 years after he was proclaimed Pope, has prompted fresh questions about who will succeed him as leader of the Catholic Church, one of the oldest and largest religious institutions with up to 1.39 billion followers.

A successor has not yet been chosen.

The College of Cardinals, made up of senior Catholic clergy, will elect the next Pope. To qualify, a candidate must be a baptized, male Catholic, although for centuries, the cardinals have chosen exclusively from among their own ranks.

There are currently more than 240 cardinals worldwide. They usually hold the title for life.

Of the 138 cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave, a total of 110 were appointed by Pope Francis. This group is significantly more diverse than previous electors, with a higher representation from Asia, Africa and Latin America, reflecting Francis’s aim to reflect the global reach of the Church. The youngest cardinal elector is just 45 years old, a Ukrainian cleric based in Australia.

As a result, there is a possibility that, for the first time in centuries, the next Pope could come from Africa or Asia, or another region traditionally underrepresented in Church leadership.

Selection process/ Who will be the next Pope after Francis?

Among the African cardinals being discussed are Peter Turkson of Ghana, former head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and Fridolin Ambongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, archbishop of Kinshasa . Both are committed conservatives who have been vocal advocates for peace in their respective countries.

Another strong contender is Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila . Like Pope Francis, Tagle emphasizes social justice and care for the poor.

Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo is seen as a leading conservative candidate and could serve as a bridgehead for Eastern Christians . The Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Erdo, is a traditionalist who has advocated contact with Orthodox Christians, stressing the "desperate need" for unity between the churches.

Also in the discussion is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See's Secretary of State , whose high diplomatic role ensures that he is well known by all the cardinals.

Other possible candidates include Matteo Zuppi of Italy, archbishop of Bologna, and Mario Grech of Malta, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops , a position that kept him in close contact with Pope Francis. /CNA