Monday, April 21, 2025 - Pope Francis on Monday died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced.
The late Francis was elected pope on March 13, 2013,
becoming the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The pontiff had recently survived a serious bout of double
pneumonia.
Here are the top 8 Cardinals likely to succeed Francis.
Peter Turkson, 76
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.
Luis Antonio Tagle, 67
Tagle is a frontrunner this time round and is considered one
of the more liberal candidates
Pietro Parolin, 70
Parolin has worked closely with Pope Francis but has upset
some with his views on China.
He is seen as a moderate, though not as close to the liberal
wing as Francis has sometimes appeared to be.
Peter Erdo, 72
From the Eastern bloc, Erdo is a deep conservative and has
spoken against divorced or remarried Catholics receiving holy communion.
Jose Tolentino, 59
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 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.
Mario Grech, 68
Cardinal Grech has played a key role in advancing Pope
Francis’s vision for a more inclusive and participatory Church.
He served as the Bishop of Gozo and is now the Secretary General of the Synod
of Bishops.
Robert Sarah, 79
Born in French Guinea, Sarah is another possibility as the
first black pope. A conservative, he has denounced gender ideology as a threat
to society. He has also spoken out against Islamic fundamentalism.
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