Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday (April 21), the Vatican will enter a nine-day mourning period known as the Novendiale. During this time, preparations will be underway to elect the next Pope.
Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday (April 21), speculations are rife about the cardinal to become Christ’s Vicar on Earth. There are some front runners, who are known as “papabile”. Papabiles are those who have at least some of the qualities considered necessary to be the Pope. While any baptised Catholic male is eligible, only cardinals have been selected since 1378. The winner needs to get at least two-thirds of the vote from the cardinals under the age of 80.
The following are some of the probable candidates who can become the next Pope:
Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada is known for leading the Vatican’s influential bishops’ office for over a decade. According to the news agency AP, he has good contacts with the Latin American church, as he has headed the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for Latin America for over a decade.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx, 71, who belongs to Germany, is the archbishop of Munich and Freising. He was chosen by Pope Francis as a key adviser in 2013. He was later selected to head the council, which was tasked with overseeing Vatican finances during reforms and belt-tightening.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, the President of Caritas Internationalis, is another crucial candidate to get the top post in the Vatican. Cardinal Tagle, who was brought from Manila to Rome to head the Vatican’s missionary evangelization office, played a crucial role in reforming the Vatican bureaucracy.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi is the archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian bishops’ conference. He is closely affiliated with the Sant’Egidio Community, a Rome-based Catholic charity that was influential under Francis, particularly in interfaith dialogue.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is also the Vatican Secretary of State, has remained Pope Francis’ secretary of state since 2014. He is considered one of the top contenders for the post. He has also served as an ambassador to Venezuela and knows the Latin American church well.
Peter Erdo, 72, is the archbishop of Budapest and primate of Hungary. He has been twice elected head of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences, in 2005 and 2011. It suggests that the Hungarian cardinal enjoys the esteem of European cardinals who make up the biggest voting bloc of electors.
Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the Austrian, was a student of Benedict’s, and thus on paper seems to have the doctrinaire academic chops to appeal to conservatives. He attracted criticism from the Vatican when he criticised its past refusal to sanction high-ranking sexual abusers
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, who was born in Chicago, could be the first American-born Pope. However, the idea of an American pope has long been taboo, given the geopolitical power already wielded by the United States. In addition to his nationality, Prevost’s comparative youth could count against him.
(With inputs from AP)
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