Who could be the next Pope and how will they be chosen? ...Middle East

Following the death of Pope Francis, who has died at the age of 88, discussions over who will succeed him are underway.

Conversations about who will be named the next Pope have been going on for some time within the Catholic Church hierarchy, according to Vatican experts.

Power changes hands only when the Pope dies or resigns. It is the duty of the dean of the College of Cardinals – currently held by 91-year-old Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re – to organise a conclave to elect a successor.

Contenders do not put themselves forward formally during a conclave and open campaigning for the role is strictly forbidden.

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But as depicted in the recent movie Conclave, different factions – typically the liberal and traditionalist wings of the Church – lobby to have their favourite elected at a series of behind-closed doors meetings.

The highly-political jostling usually takes place among contenders’ supporters over several days, before the white smoke emerges from the Sistine Chapel to signal a new Pope has been chosen.

The i Paper took a closer look at some of Francis’ most likely successors, and the process by which one will be chosen to lead the Catholic Church.

The 70-year-old Italian is the current secretary of state at the Vatican, a highly political role which has seen him take the lead on delicate diplomatic issues for the Catholic Church.

Parolin was credited with helping re-establish formal ties between the US and Cuba. He recently criticised Donald Trump’s claim the US could “take over” Gaza, saying there could be “no deportation” of Palestinians.

The Italian is viewed as neither a liberal nor a traditionalist, and his years working so closely alongside Pope Francis allow him to be viewed as someone offering continuity.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State at Cop28 climate conference. (Photographer: Sean Gallup / Provider: Getty Images / Source: Getty Images Europe / Copyright: GettyImages)

Luis Antonio Tagle

The 67-year-old Filipino, a would be the very first Pope from Asia. He is seen as someone to take forwards some of liberal views shared by Pope Francis.

Tagle would win support from more progressive cardinals, having criticised the “harsh” approach taken historically by the Church towards the LGBT community and divorced people.

The 79-year-old Guinean is a conservative traditionalist, and has criticised some of Pope Frances’ reforms to ease the formality of Catholic liturgies.

A strong opponent of same-sex marriage, Sarah has claimed liberal “radicalisation” has taken hold in the western world through abortion, homosexual union and gender theory.

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu

The 65-year-old from the Democratic Republic of Congo is another African contender who may win strong support from traditionalists.

Cardinal Ambongo has been a fierce critic of Pope Francis’ Fiducia supplicant – a 2023 declaration which allowed priests to same-sex couples. He called it a “a kind of Western imperialism”.

The 76-year-old traditionalist is the most prominent American in the list of possible successors. Often described as an “ultra-conservative”, Burke has been critical of reforms made under Francis.

He also said politicians who support abortion, including the Democrat President Joe Biden, were supporting something “intrinsically evil” and should not receive Holy Communion.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi

A 69-year-old Italian is another contender to be the next Pope, perceived as a firm supporter of Francis’ liberal stances. He was chosen by Francis to lead a peace mission aimed at helping end the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

Though Zuppi has made supportive statements about “our LGBT brothers and sisters”, a recent mass given for traditional Catholics was viewed as an attempt to win favour with conservatives.

How the next Pope is selected

It is members of the College for Cardinals – a select group of over 200 senior cardinals chosen by successive popes – who decide on Francis’ successor through a conclave.

In centuries gone by it could take months for a conclave to conclude, even years. But in recent decades the choice has been made within several days.

Only men can be Pope. There is no age limit when it comes to the role. However, Pope Paul VI banned anyone over the age of 80 from voting, so only 138 of the cardinals will get to vote during the process.

Around 110 of the current electors were created by Francis, as he sought to rebalance the College for Cardinals away from its traditional European dominance. It may give an advantage to leading contenders from Latin America and other continents.

The next Pope is only chosen when a single candidate gets a two-thirds majority of the votes. The process begins with a mass, before a long series of secret ballots inside the Sistine Chapel overseen by three cardinals selected as “scutineers”.

Ballot papers are burned in a small, controlled fire inside the chapel. Black smoke billowing from the chimney to inform those outside that a new Pope has still not been selected.

White smoke, created by an additive in the fire, tells the world a new Pope has been chosen. The new Pope then chooses his papal name, dons white robe and red slippers, and appears before the crowds on main balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.

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