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With the death of the Catholic leader, Pope Francis, on Monday, the media is already speculating about who may be chosen as the next Pope, and how the process takes place.
From the New York Post: The next pontiff could come from Africa, Italy, or Sri Lanka — possibly even America — but it’s likely that whoever is elected to follow Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88, will nudge the Catholic Church back to the ideological center, experts said.
During Francis’ 12-year reign leading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, the late pope’s support for LGBTQ Catholics and suppression of the traditional Latin Mass were among moves that rankled conservatives in the church.
Now, “whoever is elected will be of a centrally conservative disposition; after 12 years of Pope Francis ‘stirring things up,’” said Serenhedd James, editor of Britain’s Catholic Herald magazine. “I think the cardinals will want someone who will take a different, calmer approach.”
How the Next Pope Is Chosen
From Newsweek: The election of a pope follows centuries-old Vatican traditions. The College of Cardinals, composed of those under 80 years old, will vote in secret ballots inside the Sistine Chapel. A two-thirds majority is required to elect a new pope. If no consensus is reached, additional rounds of voting will continue until a candidate emerges with the necessary support. When a round of voting does not reach consensus, ballots are burned and the black smoke that appears from the Sistine Chapel chimney signals to those watching on television and in St. Peter’s Square that the conclave continues.
When white smoke appears, a new pope has been chosen.
Where will the next Pope come from? Analysts say it could be Africa’s time.
From Fox News: The next Pope could, and some analysts say should, come from Africa. Christianity is booming here. More people are becoming Catholics on the continent than anywhere else in the world, and millions of Africans proudly stay true to their faith despite persecution and death.
“As in previous years, increases (in the number of Catholics) were registered above all in Africa,” the Vatican said in October 2024, stating that 7,271,000 Africans joined the faith last year.
“Is it time? Certainly, it is an appropriate time for the leader of the Catholic Church to come from Africa for reasons that would capture the world’s imagination,” Greg Tobin, author of the novels “Conclave” and “Council,” and the biography of “Pope John XXIII, the Good Pope,” told Fox News Digital.
Potential leading candidates being reported include:
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- Cardinal Peter Turkson, 76 (Ghana)
- Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65 (Congo)
- Cardinal Robert Sarah, 80 (Guinea)
- Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67 (Phillippines)
- Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70 (Italy)
- Cardinal Peter Erdő, 72 (Hungary)
- Cardinal Angelo Scola, 82 (Italy)
- Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60 (Italy)
- Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, 69 (Italy)
- Archbishop Anders Arborelius, 75 (Sweden)
- Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, 66 (France)
- Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, 71 (Netherlands)
- Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, 77 (Sri Lanka)
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