Singaporean William Goh among 133 cardinals worldwide choosing the new pope

Singaporean William Goh among 133 cardinals worldwide choosing the new pope
(From left) Cardinals William Goh, Claudio Gugerotti and Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who are among the ones choosing the new pope, leaving a general congregation meeting at the Vatican on May 3. The papal election began on May 7. 
PHOTO: Reuters

SINGAPORE — Cardinal William Goh is one of 133 cardinals from about 70 countries — and the first Singaporean — choosing the new pope in the papal election that starts on May 7 at the Vatican.

The 67-year-old head of the Catholic Church in Singapore also has a shot at becoming the next pope, like the other cardinals gathered in Rome to pick the leader for the 1.4 billion Catholics globally.

Cardinals are second in rank only to the pope in the Church's hierarchy.

After the pope dies, all cardinals under the age of 80, who are known as cardinal electors, come together to choose the new pope. They typically choose someone from among their ranks.

Pope Francis, who died on April 21, elevated Cardinal Goh to a cardinal in 2022. Cardinal Goh is the first and only Singaporean to be appointed a cardinal so far, and he heads the 395,000-strong Catholic Church here.

One of six children of a housewife and a clerk, Cardinal Goh grew up in a zinc-roofed house in Hougang and later worked as a forex dealer before he answered the call of priesthood. He was ordained as a priest in 1985 at the age of 27.

Pope Francis died of a stroke at the age of 88. Born in Argentina, he became the first pope from Latin America when he was elected in 2013.

In September 2024, Pope Francis visited Singapore for the first time as part of his four-nation tour of Asia. He celebrated a papal mass on Sept 12 at the National Stadium with about 50,000 people in attendance.

On April 22, a day after Pope Francis' death, Cardinal Goh, who is also the Archbishop of Singapore, presided over a memorial mass for him at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. He also told the media then that he would head to Rome to attend Pope Francis' funeral and join the conclave to choose the new pope.

The word conclave means "with key" in Latin, and the new pope needs to garner at least two-thirds of the vote. The new pope will be the 267th pontiff.

A spokesman for the Archbishop's Communications Office in Singapore told The Straits Times that according to the Code of Canon Law, any baptised male Catholic can be elected as the pope. But since 1379, every pope has been chosen from among the College of Cardinals, the spokesman added.

The spokesman said: "Cardinal William Goh, like all cardinals participating in the conclave, could be elected pope. The Church believes the papal election is a process guided by the Holy Spirit, and we entrust it to divine providence."

The spokesman also said that the Catholic Church here is "encouraged" that Cardinal Goh is the first Singaporean cardinal to be part of the papal conclave, adding that it is a significant moment for Catholics here.

He said: "For Cardinal Goh, this is a profound and significant responsibility because, by exercising his vote, he will help shape the future of the Catholic Church, contribute to discerning its path and its prophetic role in the world, and by doing so, be a voice for peace, unity and the voiceless in society."

Janet Ang, Singapore's non-resident Ambassador to the Vatican, said that Singapore is blessed to have a cardinal who is part of the conclave choosing the new pope, who would be a moral voice in a world faced with wars, a climate crisis, and technological and other disruptions.

She said: "Electing a pope is not like any political election like the general election we just completed. It is the work of the Holy Spirit moving the cardinal electors through prayer and discernment.

"Any one of the cardinal electors, Cardinal Goh being one, can become pope if God so chooses." 

Lawrence Chong, a Singaporean who is a consultor for the Vatican's Dicastery for Inter-religious Dialogue, pointed out that it is a noteworthy honour that Singapore has a cardinal, given its small Catholic population relative to other countries.

Unlike secular elections, it is taboo for cardinals to campaign for the top role, he said.

However, before the conclave starts, cardinals take part in formal meetings to get to know one another and to deliver speeches that usually touch on what the Catholic Church needs at that time.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, an Italian, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, a Filipino, are widely touted to be among the front runners for the role.

Other potential popes include Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, a Ghanaian, Cardinal Mario Grech, a Maltese, and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, an Italian.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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