FOLLOWING the death of Pope Francis on the morning of Easter Monday, attention turns to the question of his successor.
Francis led the Catholic church for 12 years, right up until his death at 88 – as is tradition.
The Vatican paid tribute to their former leader with a statement that hailed his “faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised”.
It continued: “With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″
After the nine days of mourning have been observed – during which time Francis will be buried – the papal conclave will begin in order to select a successor.
All 252 cardinals from around the world will travel to Rome for the secret ballot, in which a maximum of 115 can vote.
When a candidate has two thirds of the vote, they will be appointed Pope through a pontifical coronation.
Here are the 8 front-runners:
CARDINAL LUIS TAGLE
Tagle, 67, has been dubbed the “Asian Pope Francis”, because his views largely align with the late Pontiff.
He has criticised the Church’s “severe” stance on gay people, divorcees and single mothers.
Tagle is the seventh cardinal ever from the Philippines and, if picked, would become the first Asian Pope.
CARDINAL FRIDOLIN AMBONGO BESUNGU
Besungu, 65, is a Congolese cardinal who has publicly clashed with Francis in the past.
He rejected a decree from Francis that the church should give its blessing to homosexual couples, arguing it “cannot be carried out in Africa without [Christians] exposing themselves to scandals”.
He effectively declared the doctrine, called Fiducia supplicans, null and void on the African continent.
If Besungu – the youngest of the front-runners – was elected as Pope, his leadership would likely force a U-turn on much of Francis’s work.
CARDINAL PIETRO PAROLIN
Italian Parolin, 70, is currently the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and has been a bookies’ favourite to don the robe since last November.
He treads the middle ground on most political questions facing the Church, and has spent years abroad in Nigeria and Mexico as a diplomat.
Parolin would be seen as an extension of Francis’s legacy.
CARDINAL WIM EIJK
Eijk, 71, is a former doctor and one of the most conservative cardinals with their hat in the ring.
The Dutchman once wrote that remarrying is “a form of structured and institutionalised adultery”, and has sharply criticised Francis’s view on the matter.
The cardinal also slammed the late Pope’s decision to allow Protestants to receive bread and wine in Catholic churches as “completely incomprehensible”.
CARDINAL RAYMOND BURKE
Cardinal Raymond BurkeCredit: The College of Cardinals Report
Burke, 76, is another unwavering conservative, who believes strongly in the traditions of Latin Mass.
Hailing from Wisconsin, USA, Burke doesn’t believe that people who have divorced and remarried should be allowed to receive Holy Communion.
He also branded as “objectionable” the Church’s reformed approach to gay people, civil marriages and contraception.
CARDINAL PETER ERDO
Erdo, 72, is a former President of the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe – a group of 33 leading Bishops from the continent.
The Hungarian is a devout Marian, which means he directs his religious practices towards Mary, mother of Jesus.
He is known for being a Conservative voice within the Church, and is against divorced or remarried Catholics partaking in Holy Communion.
He has made some controversial claims in his time, including likening taking in refugees to human trafficking.
The distinguished cardinal is fluent in Hungarian, English, Italian, French and Latin.
CARDINAL MATTEO ZUPPI
Italian Cardinal Zuppi, 69, is known to be a favourite of the current Pope Francis, who in 2023 asked him to carry out a mission to bring peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Zuppi met with Zelenksy, but not Putin – and later in the year flew to the US to meet President Biden.
He has been the president of the Episcopal Conference of Italy since May 2022.
The cardinal holds much more progressive views than many of his peers, writing in book in 2018 that the Church should seek dialogue and understanding with “our LGBT brothers and sisters”.
CARDINAL MARIO GRECH
Grech, 67, from Malta, is considered a moderate voice within the Church.
He has spoken about the importance of reaching out to communities that feel rejected by the Church due to the sexuality or marriage status.
He was elevated to cardinal by Pope Francis in 2020.
How will the next Pope be chosen?
THE next Pope is chosen through a process called a papal conclave, which takes place after the current Pope dies or resigns.
Here’s how it works:
The College of Cardinals is summoned to the Vatican
The cardinals meet in the Sistine Chapel and vote by a secret ballot
They will prepare for the upcoming papal elections – called a conclave
These Catholic leaders will vote once on the first days and four times a day on each additional day
This vote will continue until one candidate gets two-thirds of the vote
The nominee must then accept the offer and choose their new papal name
This outcome will be confirmed to the public when white smoke burns out of the Sistine Chapel chimney.
