Award Banner
Award Banner

Who could be the next pope? Some possible candidates

Who could be the next pope? Some possible candidates
A general view of St Peter Basilica, after the death of Pope Francis was announced by the Vatican in a video statement, as seen from Rome, Italy April 21, 2025.
PHOTO: Reuters

VATICAN CITY — Predict who the next pope will be at your peril.

An old Italian saying warns against putting faith, or money, in any presumed front-runner ahead of the conclave, the closed-door gathering of cardinals that picks the pontiff. It cautions: "He who enters a conclave as a pope, leaves it as a cardinal".

But here are some cardinals who are being talked about as "papabili" to succeed Pope Francis, whose death at the age of 88 was announced by the Vatican on Monday. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille, French, aged 66.

Pope Francis speaks to Marseille's archbishop Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, at a mass at the Velodrome Stadium, as a part of his journey on the occasion of the Mediterranean Meetings (MED 2023) in Marseille, France, Sept 23, 2023. 
PHOTO: Vatican Media via Reuters file

According to the French press, he is known in some domestic Catholic circles as John XXIV, in a nod to his resemblance to Pope John XXIII, the round-faced reforming pope of the early 1960s.

Pope Francis once quipped that his successor might take the name of John XXIV.

Aveline is known for his folksy, easy-going nature, his readiness to crack jokes, and his ideological proximity to Francis, especially on immigration and relations with the Muslim world. He is also a serious intellectual, with a doctorate in theology and a degree in philosophy.

He was born in Algeria to a family of Spanish immigrants who moved to France after Algerian independence, and has lived most of his life in Marseille, a port that has been a crossroads of cultures and religions for centuries.

Under Francis, Aveline has made great career strides, becoming bishop in 2013, archbishop in 2019 and a cardinal three years later. His standing was boosted in September 2023 when he organised an international Church conference on Mediterranean issues at which Pope Francis was the star guest.

If he got the top job, Aveline would become the first French pope since the 14th century, a turbulent period in which the papacy moved to Avignon.

He would also be the youngest pope since John Paul II. He understands but does not speak Italian — potentially a major drawback for a job that also carries the title Bishop of Rome and requires a lot of familiarity with Roman power games and intrigues.

Cardinal Peter Erdo, Hungarian, aged 72

Cardinal Peter Erdo arrives to attend Pope Francis's farewell ceremony at the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, in Budapest, Hungary, April 30, 2023. 
PHOTO: Reuters file

If Erdo is elected, he would inevitably be seen as a compromise candidate — someone from the conservative camp who has nonetheless built bridges with Francis' progressive world.

Erdo was already considered a papal contender in the last conclave in 2013 thanks to his extensive Church contacts in Europe and Africa as well as the fact that he was seen as a pioneer of the New Evangelisation drive to rekindle the Catholic faith in secularised advanced nations — a top priority for many cardinals.

He ranks as a conservative in theology and in speeches throughout Europe he stresses the Christian roots of the continent. However, he is also seen to be pragmatic and never clashed openly with Francis, unlike other tradition-minded clerics.

That said, he raised eyebrows in the Vatican during the 2015 migrant crisis when he went against Pope Francis' call for churches to take in refugees, saying this would amount to human trafficking — seemingly aligning himself with Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

An expert in Church law, Erdo has been on a fast track his entire career, becoming a bishop in his 40s and a cardinal in 2003 when he was just 51, making him the youngest member of the College of Cardinals until 2010.

He has excellent Italian, and also speaks German, French, Spanish and Russian — which could help him thaw relations between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches after the deep chill of the war in Ukraine.

Erdo is not a charismatic speaker, but while this was once undoubtedly viewed as a serious drawback, it could potentially be seen as an advantage this time around if cardinals want a calm papacy following the fireworks of Francis' rule.

Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Maltese, aged 68.

Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops Cardinal Mario Grech sits as Pope Francis presides over the closing Mass at the end of the Synod of Bishops, in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Oct 29, 2023.
PHOTO: Reuters file

Grech comes from Gozo, a tiny island that is part of Malta, the smallest country in the European Union. But from small beginnings he has gone on to big things, appointed by Pope Francis to be secretary general of the Synod of Bishops — a heavyweight position within the Vatican.

Initially viewed as a conservative, Grech has become a torchbearer of Francis' reforms within the Church for years, moving sharply with the times.

In 2008, several gay Maltese citizens declared they were leaving the Church in protest at what they saw as the anti-LGBT stance of the then pontiff — Pope Benedict.

Grech offered them little sympathy at the time, but speaking in the Vatican in 2014, he called for the Church to be more accepting of its LGBT members and creative in finding new ways to address contemporary family situations.

The following day, Pope Francis tapped him on the shoulder at breakfast and complimented him for the speech, marking him out for future promotion.

In 2018, Grech spoke about how he relished the challenges faced by the Church. "We are going through a period of change. And to me, this is a very positive thing," he told the Malta Today newspaper. He warned that it would not remain relevant to modern society if it did not move beyond nostalgia for the past.

His views have won him some high-profile enemies, and conservative Cardinal Gerhard Muller memorably turned on him in 2022, belittling his academic profile and accusing him of going against Catholic doctrine.

Grech's allies insist he has friends in both the conservative and moderate camps and that, because of his high-profile role, he is known by many cardinals, a clear advantage in a conclave where so many cardinals are relative unknowns to each other.

Coming from a tiny country, his election as pope wouldn't create any diplomatic or geopolitical headaches.

He has stressed that he always seeks consensus over confrontation. But he has sometimes courted controversy. In 2016 he led a pilgrimage to pray for rain after meeting farmers worried about drought. A local newspaper said it was "a throwback to prehistoric attempts at inducing rain" but a few days after the event, it did indeed start to rain.

Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, archbishop of Barcelona, Spanish, aged 79.

Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona and President of Spanish Bishops' Conference, answers questions from journalists during a media gathering in Madrid, Spain, Dec 12, 2023. 
PHOTO: Reuters file

Omella is a man after Pope Francis' own heart. Unassuming and good-natured, he lives a humble life despite his lofty title, dedicating his Church career to pastoral care, promoting social justice and embodying a compassionate and inclusive vision of Catholicism.

"We must not see reality only through the eyes of those who have the most, but also through the eyes of the poor," he told the Crux news site in April 2022, in words reflecting Francis' world vision.

He was born in 1946 in the village of Cretas in northeastern Spain. After being ordained in 1970 he served as a priest in a number of Spanish parishes and also spent a year as a missionary in Zaire, now called Democratic Republic of Congo.

Underscoring his dedication to social causes, from 1999 to 2015 he worked closely with Spain's Manos Unidas charity, which tackles famine, disease and poverty in the developing world.

He became a bishop in 1996 and was promoted to archbishop of Barcelona in 2015. Just one year later, Francis gave him a red cardinal's hat — a move seen as a clear endorsement of Omella's progressive tendencies, which stand in contrast to more conservative elements that once dominated the Spanish Church.

Omella is a former president of Spain's bishops' conference. He had to deal with the fallout from an independent commission that estimated in 2023 that more than 200,000 minors may have been sexually abused by Spanish clergy over a period of decades.

Omella has repeatedly asked for forgiveness for the mismanagement of sexual abuse, but has denied that so many children were abused, with an internal Church investigation identifying just 927 victims since the 1940s.

"At the end of the day, numbers do not get us anywhere. The important thing is the people and to make amends as far as possible," he said. "Blaming is not the way. The problem does not belong to the Church, it belongs to society as a whole."

In 2023, Francis invited Omella to join his nine-member kitchen cabinet of cardinals to advise him on questions of governance.

If the conclave decides the Church needs a new approach, then this proximity will count against Omella.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Italian, Vatican diplomat, aged 70.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin leads the Holy Mass to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II in Saint Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican April 2, 2025. 
PHOTO: Reuters file

Parolin is seen as a compromise candidate between progressives and conservatives. He has been a Church diplomat for most of his life and served as Pope Francis' secretary of state since 2013, the year Francis was elected.

The position is similar to that of a prime minister and secretaries of state are often called the "deputy pope" because they rank second to the pontiff in the Vatican hierarchy.

Parolin previously served as deputy foreign minister under Pope Benedict, who in 2009 appointed him the Vatican's ambassador in Venezuela, where he defended the Church against moves to weaken it by then-President Hugo Chavez.

He was also the main architect of the Vatican's rapprochement with China and Vietnam. Conservatives have attacked him for an agreement on the appointment of bishops in communist China. He has defended the agreement saying that while it was not perfect, it avoided a schism and provided some form of communication with the Beijing government.

Parolin was never a front-line or noisy activist in the Church's so-called Culture Wars, which centred on issues such as abortion and gay rights, although he did once condemn the legalisation of same-sex marriage in many countries as "a defeat for humanity".

He has defended the Vatican's power over local Church leaders, criticising attempts in Germany to allow priests to symbolically bless same-sex couples. He said local Churches cannot make decisions that would end up affecting all Catholics.

A softly spoken and genteel person, Parolin would return the papacy to the Italians after three successive non-Italian popes — John Paul II of Poland, Benedict of Germany and Francis of Argentina.

He entered the Vatican's diplomatic service just three years after his priestly ordination in 1980 so his pastoral experience is limited. But a factor in his favour is that he speaks a number of languages.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Filipino, aged 67.

Tagle is often called the "Asian Francis" because of his similar commitment to social justice and if elected he would be the first pontiff from Asia.

On paper, Tagle, who generally prefers to be called by his nickname "Chito", seems to have all the boxes ticked to qualify him to be a pope.

He has had decades of pastoral experience since his ordination to the priesthood in 1982. He then gained administrative experience, first as bishop of Imus and then as archbishop of Manila.

Pope Benedict made him a cardinal in 2012.

In a move seen by some as a strategy by Francis to give Tagle some Vatican experience, the pope in 2019 transferred him from Manila and appointed him head of the Church's missionary arm, formally known as the Dicastery for Evangelisation.

He comes from what some called "Asia's Catholic lung," because the Philippines has the region's largest Catholic population. His mother was an ethnic Chinese Filipino. He speaks fluent Italian and English.

Between 2015 and 2022, he was the top leader of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of more than 160 Catholic relief, social service, and development organisations around the world.

In 2022, Pope Francis fired its entire leadership following accusations of bullying and humiliation of employees, and appointed a commissioner to run it. Tagle, who was also removed from his role, had been nominally president but was not involved in the day-to-day operations, which were overseen by a lay director-general.

Announcing the pope's dramatic decision, Tagle told a meeting of the confederation that the changes were a moment for "facing our failures". It remains to be seen how the saga will impact Tagle's chances at the papacy.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, N.J., American, aged 72.

It's unlikely the world's cardinals would pick the first ever US pope, but if they were up for that, Tobin would seem the likeliest possibility.

A former global leader of a major Catholic religious order known as the Redemptorists, the Detroit native has spent time in countries around the world and speaks Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese fluently. He also has experience in Vatican service and in top positions across the US church.

Tobin served a stint as second-in-command of a Vatican office from 2009-12, and was then named by Pope Benedict as archbishop of Indianapolis, Indiana. Francis promoted him to a cardinal in 2016, and later made him the archbishop of Newark.

In this latest role, Tobin, a big man known for his weight-lifting workout regime, has dealt with one of the highest-profile Catholic scandals in recent years. In 2018, then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, one of Tobin's predecessors in Newark, was removed from ministry over accusations of sexual misconduct with seminarians.

McCarrick denied any wrongdoing, resigned as a cardinal and was later found guilty by a Vatican tribunal and removed from the priesthood. He died earlier this month.

Tobin won praise for his handling of the scandal, including a decision to make public previously confidential settlements made between the archdiocese and McCarrick's alleged victims.

Tobin is the oldest of 13 children and has said he is a recovering alcoholic. He is known for an attitude of openness toward LGBT people, writing in 2017 that "in too many parts of our church LGBT people have been made to feel unwelcome, excluded, and even shamed".

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Ghanaian, Vatican official, aged 76.

From humble beginnings in a small African town, Cardinal Peter Turkson has gone on to great things in the Church, making him a contender to become the first pope from sub-Saharan Africa.

He combines a long pastoral background of tending to congregations in Ghana with hands-on experience of leading several Vatican offices, as well as strong communication skills.

The fact he comes from one of the most dynamic regions for the Church, which is struggling against the forces of secularism in its European heartlands, should also bolster his standing.

The fourth son in a family of 10 children, Turkson was born in Wassaw Nsuta, in what was then called the Gold Coast in the British Empire. His father worked in a nearby mine and doubled as a carpenter while his mother sold vegetables in the market.

He studied at seminaries in Ghana and New York, was ordained in 1975, and then taught in his former Ghanaian seminary and did advanced Biblical studies in Rome.

Pope John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Cape Coast in 1992 and 11 years later made him the first cardinal in the history of the West African state.

Promotions continued under John Paul's successor, Benedict, who brought him to the Vatican in 2009 and made him the head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace -- the body that promotes social justice, human rights and world peace.

In that role, he was one of the pope's closest advisors on issues such as climate change and drew much attention by attending conferences such as the Davos economic forum.

Francis merged Turkson's department in 2016 with three other offices, leading to what some saw as a power struggle between him and another cardinal.

Turkson resigned from that role in 2021 and was appointed to head two pontifical academies on sciences and social sciences.

In 2023 he told the BBC he prayed "against" the possibility that he would be elected pope but some of his detractors said that given his media appearances it appeared he was campaigning for the job.

Matteo Maria Zuppi, Italian, archbishop of Bologna, aged 69.

When Zuppi got a promotion in 2015 and became archbishop of Bologna, national media referred to him as the "Italian Bergoglio", due to his affinity with Francis, the Argentine pope who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

Zuppi would be the first Italian pope since 1978.

Much like Pope Francis when he lived in Buenos Aires, Zuppi is known as a "street priest" who focuses on migrants and the poor, and cares little about pomp and protocol. He goes by the name of "Father Matteo", and in Bologna he sometimes uses a bicycle rather than an official car.

In a city that loves its meat products, he once made waves when pork-free tortellini were served, as an option, for the feast day of Bologna's patron saint. Zuppi called the Muslim-friendly move a normal gesture of respect and courtesy.

If he were made pope, conservatives would likely view him with suspicion. Victims of Church sex abuse might also object to him, since the Italian Catholic Church, which he has led since 2022, has been slow to investigate and confront the issue.

The Italian cardinal is closely associated with the Community of Sant'Egidio, a global peace and justice Catholic group based in the historic Rome district of Trastevere, where he spent most of his life as a priest.

Sant'Egidio, sometimes called "the United Nations of Trastevere," brokered a 1992 peace agreement that ended a 17-year-old civil war in Mozambique, with the help of Zuppi as one of the mediators.

He has engaged in more diplomacy recently as papal envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, concentrating on efforts to repatriate children who Ukraine says have been deported to Russia or Russian-held territories.

Zuppi is a born-and-bred Roman with a fairly thick regional accent, and solid Catholic family roots.

His father Enrico was the editor of the Sunday supplement of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, while his mother's uncle, Carlo Confalonieri, was also a cardinal.

Read Also
world
The steps to choose a successor to Pope Francis

Source: Reuters

homepage

trending

trending
    The Cat Cafe at The Rail Mall to shutter in March 2026, some resident cats to be up for adoption
    WP's Harpreet Singh slams 'unacceptable' comments about Alexis Dang's appearance: 'We must respect women'
    13 youths under police investigation for damaging wheelchairs at Sengkang and Boon Lay polling stations
    The Projector to live-stream election coverage at Cineleisure Foyer on May 3
    Dos and don'ts: What you need to know about cooling-off period on May 2 & 3
    Parents thank Park Seo-joon for donation that saved child: 'It was the first time in a long while our family laughed'
    Let's choose unity over division, integrity over half truths: PM Wong in PAP's final rally speech
    Pritam Singh says ministers can continue serving Singapore if not re-elected: 'Singaporeans need not feel guilty'
    'Let's worry about ordinary Singaporeans instead': PSP says losing a few ministers won't weaken govt
    Opposition parties call for fairer policies and more balanced parliament in final party political broadcast
    PM Wong says PAP expected to do 'heavy lifting' in Parliament for opposition parties who want 'more seats, but not more responsibility'
    Singaporeans ready for 'First World Parliament' with more opposition members, WP's Sylvia Lim says in GE2025 final political broadcast

Singapore

Singapore
    • GE2025: Gan Kim Yong vows to serve Punggol residents even if he's asked to step down
    • GE2025: WP's Andre Low apologises for 'inappropriate' language in leaked Telegram messages
    • 'We should avoid all that': Tan Cheng Bock responds to lively cheering contest between PSP and PAP supporters
    • 'PAP does not walk the talk': Pritam Singh hits back at PM Wong on 'negative politics'
    • Watch: PM Lawrence Wong delivers May Day Rally speech
    • 'I have never left': Yee Jenn Jong on his 'one last' return as WP's East Coast candidate in GE2025
    • 'Criticise first, copy later': Chee Soon Juan accuses PAP of adopting SDP's policy ideas
    • Chee Hong Tat hopes to follow in Ng Eng Hen's footsteps in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, wants to serve until he retires
    • GE2025: 11 rallies and closing Party Political Broadcasts on final day of campaigning
    • WP's Faisal Manap says Aljunied GRC residents can vouch he served 'fairly and equally'

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • Red Velvet's Irene and Seulgi, Exo's Doh Kyung-soo, Xdinary Heroes: Singapore concert calendar for 2025
    • 'My acting wasn't going anywhere': Zhang Zetong was close to leaving showbiz before winning Star Award
    • 'Unlike other K-pop concerts': Small venue means Kiss of Life fans get intimate performance from girl group
    • Sora Ma responds to hate comments, including 1 accusing her of being 'happy' soon after husband's death
    • A$AP Rocky 'living his dream', now a dad of 2
    • Tom Cruise always eats a 'massive breakfast' before doing any daredevil stunts
    • Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Chappell Roan and Sarah Michelle Gellar will be guest judges on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 10
    • Ozzy Osbourne feared his health problems were 'never going to end'
    • Nick Cannon accused of not seeing daughter for over a month by former partner
    • Comedian Russell Brand due in UK court to face rape and sex assault charges

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Local brands like Ann Chin Popiah and Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice to open at 5-star hotel in Macau
    • 'It hurts, losing everything': Mentai-Ya boss closes all remaining stalls after $550k losses in 2 years
    • Kenny Rogers Roasters now has an all-you-can-eat buffet for $28.90++, here's a sneak peek at the menu
    • This new American malt shop along Joo Chiat Road looks like it came straight out of a Wes Anderson film
    • Sengkang and Serangoon break new ground with million-dollar HDB resales
    • Lotte Mart Express opens at VivoCity with ramyun station, Korean street food and more
    • Pizza Hut to release limited-edition Cheeseburger Melts-inspired plushies from May 5
    • Crowds flock to supermarkets for Milo Singapore's limited-edition plushies; restocks for some items announced
    • New Scissor-Cut Curry Rice restaurant in Geylang to shutter after 30 years: 'There will be no successor or takeover'
    • Zeekr X Flagship AWD review: More power and luxury with few compromises

Digicult

Digicult
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • Google Pixel 9a: The best AI-centric phone under $800 in 2025?
    • Western intelligence agencies warn spyware threat targeting Taiwan, Tibetan rights advocates
    • Taiwan says China using generative AI to ramp up disinformation and 'divide' the island
    • Russian court fines Telegram app for refusal to remove anti-government content, TASS reports
    • One Beijing man's quest to keep cooking — and connecting with Americans — on camera
    • Nintendo Switch 2 to launch in June with US$449.99 price tag
    • Games in April: RPGs, racing and Ronaldo in a fighting game
    • Is it time to get a MacBook at a good price? The M4 MacBook Air says yes

Money

Money
    • Giant deal: Malaysian company to acquire Cold Storage and Giant supermarket chains in Singapore
    • GM delays investor call, UPS axes 20k jobs as Trump's tariffs create corporate chaos
    • India prepared to 'future-proof' trade deal as sweetener in US talks, sources say
    • UPS cuts 20,000 jobs, GM delays investor call as Trump's tariffs create corporate chaos
    • Profit warnings and uncertainty as Trump tariffs send a chill through businesses
    • Risk of global economic recession surges on US tariff shockwaves
    • World military spending hits $3.6 trillion in record 2024 surge
    • China warns countries against striking trade deals with US at its expense
    • Why we bought a $960k 2-bedder condo at Penrose during Covid-19: A buyer's case study
    • Why are recently MOP-ed 3-room HDB flats in Yishun fetching top prices?

Latest

Latest
  • 'We are breaking the bodies and minds of children of Gaza', says WHO Executive Director
  • Sean 'Diddy' Combs rejects last minute plea deal in trial for sex crimes
  • Artist behind Trump portrait gifted by Putin says he hopes it brings peace
  • China's top diplomat backs Iran's nuclear diplomacy ahead of US talks
  • Vance says US hopes Pakistan cooperates with India against Pakistan-based militants
  • May Day protesters across US decry Trump policies, call for rule of law
  • South Korea's acting president says he will ensure stability until election
  • Thailand finance ministry says expecting 36.5 million foreign tourists this year
  • Hundreds of UN staff in Swiss city protest job cuts triggered by Trump

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • PSP's Tan Cheng Bock turns 85; SDP's Paul Tambyah joins celebration at Teban Gardens
  • PM Wong urges voters to 'choose leaders of good character' in PAP's first party political broadcast
  • It is 'important for Singapore's democracy' that WP wins more seats, says Pritam in election broadcast
  • GE2025: PSP, RDU, SDP, PPP, PAR, NSP promise to push for policy changes if elected to Parliament in first political broadcast
  • 'Everyone has the right to express their feelings': WP candidates address four-cornered fight in Tampines GRC
  • PAP's Desmond Lee responds to opposition's calls for GST exemption, says 'we want to make it progressive'
  • 'A fresher Pritam Singh': Teo Chee Hean to Aljunied resident who mistook PAP's Faisal Abdul Aziz for WP chief
  • SDP leaders criticise GST hike and govt vouchers: 'Give you cup of water to put out fire'
  • PAP has 'lost its way', say Tan Cheng Bock and Leong Mun Wai in PSP's first GE2025 rally
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.