Who can become a pope? Media about favorites for the successor of Franciszek

Although the conclave has been divided by at least two weeks since the beginning, the media are already presenting the profiles of the potential successors of Pope Francis. Two names appear most often – they are cardinals from Hungary and Italy. Who else went to the “Papabile” list?

Capturing the one who becomes another pope is not an easy task – says the Reuters agency. And it resembles an old saying that, who, who enters the conclave as a pope (i.e. a brick favorite), comes out as a cardinal. And in fact, the candidates who were mentioned before the last conclave among the most important favorites, did not head the church.

Still, though From the death of Franciszek Only hours have passed, the media already publish the lists of “papabili” – that is, from Italian those who can become a pope. They have already prepared them, among others The aforementioned Reuters, Newsweek or Sky News agency. A similar study can also be found on the College of Cardinals Report website, created by Catholic journalists and researchers and dedicated to the silhouettes of Catholic cardinals. Two names can be found in all these places. I am talking about Péter Erdő and Pietro Parolina.

Papabile. The most frequently mentioned candidates for the successor of Franciszek

Péter Erdő (Hungary)

The first of them as a candidate for the role of the head of the church was already indicated during the conclave in 2013. He became a bishop at the age of 40, and a cardinal as a barely 51-year-old. He took the cardinal oath before John Paul II. He is currently 72 years old.

As Reuters writes, Péter Erdő is seen as a compromise candidate – although he comes from church conservatives, “he managed to make contact with the progressive world of Francis.” He explicitly objected to calling the Pope to accept refugees, which would be synonymous – in his opinion – with human trafficking. As the agency notes, it could have been a sign of the support of Orban's policy. Although he speaks perfectly in many languages, Erdő is not supposedly a thrilling speaker.

Pietro Parolin (Italy)

Pietro Parolin is also presented as a compromise candidate. At Franciszek he was the secretary of the Holy See. So he was the second person after the Pope in the Vatican hierarchy. He also exercised an important office for Benedict XVI. At that time he was an Undersecretary for relations with other countries. He is currently 70 years old. He was born in Italy.

He was appointed a cardinal by Francis. However, he did not agree with him in everything. He once condemned the legalization of same -sex marriages, calling it “the failure of humanity.” He also opposed attempts to bless homosexual couples by clergy in Germany. He was the main architect of the Vatican with China and Vietnam, for which he was criticized by some conservatives.

Conclave. More possible candidates

Slightly less often than Erdő and Parolin, but still often Matteo Maria Zuppi and Luis Antonio Tagle appear on the lists of “papabili”.

Matteo Maria Zuppi He is 69 years old and comes from Italy. Franciszek appointed him to the cardinal. Like him, Zuppi is known for helping the poor and modest disposition. Sometimes he is called “street priest”. In recent years, as a papal envoy for the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, he was intensively involved in diplomatic activities.

He is also compared to the Argentine Pope Luis Antonio Tagle. As Reuters points out, sometimes he is talked about as “Asian Franciszek”. In the years 2015-2022 he led Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of over 160 Catholic assistance, social and development organizations around the world. Tagle is a Filipino. If he were elected, he would be the first pope from Asia. He is currently 67 years old. He was appointed in 2012 to the cardinal, in the time of the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

Among the potential successors of Franciszek, there is also a surname Jean-Marca Aveline. As Reuters notes, the 66 -year -old Archbishop of Marseille in some circles is already called papal name – John XXIV, and this is due to the alleged physical similarity to John XXIII. The agency also resembles the words of Francis that his successor can bear such a name.

Aveline was born in Algeria and raised in Marseille. His views on many issues coincide with the views of the deceased Pope – especially those regarding immigration or relationships with the Muslim world. Although he is famous for slack and jokes, he is also an intellectual – with doctorates in philosophy and theology. If he were elected, he would be the youngest pope from the time of John Paul II. A passive knowledge of Italian may be a certain obstacle – he understands this language, but he doesn't say it. And this is a potential problem for the future bishop of Rome.

Among the cardinals who have a chance to become a pope is also mentioned Jose Tolentino de Mendonca. He is currently 59 years old, so not much for the potential head of the church. He comes from Portugal, he was born in Madeira. He took the cardinal oath in 2019, i.e. before Francis. He is a poet, biblical and former academic teacher. It stands out due to progressive views.

The potential candidate for the pope is Pizzaba pizzaballa. He is a 60-year-old born in Italy. He is a Latin patriarch of Jerusalem. He was appointed cardinal two years ago. Most of his activities are focused around the Middle East. In 2023, he declared that he was ready to give himself to Hamas in exchange for the release of children kidnapped as hostages. He appealed many times regarding the peace agreement in Gaza.

On the lists of possible successors of Pope Francis are also placed Peter Turkson. The priest is 76 years old and comes from Ghana. If he is elected, he will become the first pope from Africa. He became a cardinal during the time of John Paul II. Benedict XVI put him at the head of the Pontifical Council Iustitia et Pax, an organ promoting social justice, human rights and world peace. While performing this function, he was one of the Pope's closest advisers in matters such as climate change, says Reuters. The agency also resembles the words of Turkson from 2023, which then cut off from the desire to become a pope.

Among the priests who could head the church also mentioned: Mario Grech (68 years, Malta), Juan Jose Omella (79 years, Spain), Cristobal Lopez Romero (72 years, Spain), Angelo Scola (83 years old, Italy) and Joseph Tobin (72 years, USA).