After the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, the world is waiting to see who will succeed him, as the Cardinals gather in Rome for the Papal Conclave. He was the first Latin American Pope, so did that signal a wider change within the Catholic Church and will we now see the first black or Asian Pope? Here are the top contenders to become the next Supreme Pontiff…
Peter Turkson, 76
Cardinal Turkson, born in Ghana, was the bookies’ favourite at one point when Francis was chosen in 2013. He would be the first black pope
The former Bishop of the Cape Coast, would be the first black Pope and would have the appeal of reaching out to Africa. Born in Ghana, he was sent by Pope Francis as a peace envoy to South Sudan. He occupies the middle ground on the tricky subject of gay relationships, arguing that laws in many African countries are too harsh but that the views of Africans on the subject must be respected. Turkson was the bookies’ favourite at one point during the 2013 conclave, when Francis was chosen.
Luis Antonio Tagle, 67
Tagle is a frontrunner this time round and is considered one of the more liberal candidates
Tagle, the former Archbishop of Manila, has emerged as the frontrunner in the betting markets. He would have the appeal of being the first Asian Pope, the region with the fastest-growing Catholic population. He has opposed abortion rights in the Philippines but would be considered one of the more liberal candidates. He has complained that the Catholic church has been too harsh towards gay and divorced couples, and that this has hampered its evangelical work.
Pietro Parolin, 70
Parolin has worked closely with Pope Francis but has upset some with his views on China
He is the closest to a ‘continuity candidate’, having worked with Pope Francis as Cardinal Secretary of State. He is seen as a moderate, though not as close to the liberal wing as Francis has sometimes appeared to be. When Ireland voted in 2015 to legalise same sex marriage, Parolin described it as ‘a defeat for humanity’. In recent times, Parolin’s star has fallen a little thanks to his being the architect of the 2018 agreement between the Holy See and China, which some regard as a sell-out to the Chinese Communist Party.
Peter Erdo, 72
From the Eastern bloc, Erdo is a deep conservative and has spoken against divorced or remarried Catholics receiving holy communion
The Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest would be the second Pope, after John Paul II, to have administered in the former Soviet bloc, when church leaders were often persecuted. He campaigned for his predecessor Jozsef Minszenty to be exonerated after being arrested for opposing Hungary‘s communist regime. Erdo is a deep conservative who has spoken against divorced or remarried Catholics receiving holy communion.
Jose Tolentino, 59
At 59, Tolentino is regarded as the ‘relative youth’ candidate and has held down several Vatican roles
Not to be confused with the US baseball player of the same name, and usually carries the suffix ‘de Mendonca’ to distinguish himself. Hailing from Cristiano Ronaldo‘s birth place of Madeira, Portugal, he has served as an Archbishop as well as held down a number of Vatican roles. As the – relative – youth candidate, he has advocated that biblical scholars engage with the modern world by watching films and listening to music.
Matteo Zuppi, 69
Zuppi was appointed cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019 and is the Vatican Peace Envoy to Ukraine
Zuppi has been Archbishop of Bologna since 2015 and was appointed a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019. Two years ago, the Pope made him the Vatican peace envoy for Ukraine, in which capacity he visited Moscow to ‘encourage gestures of humanity’. While he didn’t have an audience with Putin, he did meet the president’s controversial ally Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, but with little diplomatic progress to show for his efforts.
Mario Grech, 68
Cardinal Grech has played a key role in advancing Pope Francis’s vision for a more inclusive and participatory Church
Maltese Grech, and has previously served as the Bishop of Gozo and is now the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops. He has called for the church to ‘learn a new language’ when dealing with gay couples and divorcees, although is also seen as something of a traditionalist.
Robert Sarah, 79
Conservative cardinal Sarah has denounced gender ideology as a threat to society
Born in French Guinea, Sarah is another possibility as the first black pope – although age is not on his side. He has been working in Vatican positions since the time of John Paul II. A conservative, he has denounced gender ideology as a threat to society. He has also spoken out against Islamic fundamentalism.
Vincent Nichols, 79
He was once a little boy who wanted to be a lorry driver and received his calling to the priesthood while watching his beloved Liverpool FC from the Kop at Anfield. But now Britain’s top Catholic is said to stand an outside chance of succeeding Pope Francis – and becoming the first English Pontiff since the 12th century. Liverpool-born Cardinal Vincent Nichols has been Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales since 2009.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who is said to stand an outside chance of succeeding Pope Francis
He was made a Cardinal in 2014. The clergyman, 79, was ordained over 55 years ago and originally served in his home city before becoming Archbishop of Birmingham in 2000, prior to being given the UK’s top job. In more recent years, Pope Francis appointed him to wider roles including being president of the Santa Marta group, an alliance of Catholic bishops and police chiefs around the world, launched in 2014.
