Who will be the next pope? Here are some possible contenders

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Pope Francis' death connected April 21, the day aft Easter Sunday, started disconnected a series of traditions that successful a fewer weeks volition culminate successful a ballot for the adjacent pope. His successor volition beryllium decided by the Catholic Church's cardinal electors, a radical of astir 135 cardinals nether the property of 80, who are acceptable to begin their conclave May 7 to clasp a secretive predetermination for the adjacent pontiff.

"Every papal conclave comes down, successful immoderate sense, to a referendum connected the papacy that has conscionable ended," John Allen, a longtime perceiver of the Vatican and exertion of the Catholic quality tract "Crux," said. Several of the apt frontrunners would correspond continuity with the direction acceptable by Pope Francis, helium said, portion others would awesome "a alteration successful a somewhat much traditional, blimpish direction."

No substance their leanings, Allen said, the cardinal electors volition beryllium looking for idiosyncratic who tin adjacent Pope Francis' stature connected the satellite stage. "They want, successful part, idiosyncratic who tin person the aforesaid capableness to marque it perfectly intolerable for the wider satellite to disregard what the Catholic Church has to say."

Over the past 600 years — since 1378 — cardinals person been chosen for the position, though eligibility technically extends to immoderate antheral Roman Catholic who has been baptized.

Here is look astatine immoderate of the cardinals considered imaginable contenders to go pope:

Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Budapest, Hungary

Cardinal Peter Erdo, a 72-year-old canon lawyer, is the highest ranking Catholic person successful a state that is 80% Christian. He is known for his enactment of the pope's outreach to Orthodox Christians.

Pope Francis greets archbishop of Budapest Cardinal Peter Erdo

Erdo is besides connected the blimpish broadside of the European taste divide. On migration, a cardinal contented for Hungary, helium has conveyed a balanced approach, recognizing the close to migrate but besides the value of ensuring governmental stability.

Erdo is considered a traditionalist but is besides respected by liberals, which could marque him a unifying unit wrong the church.

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, grew planetary attraction for starring African bishops successful unanimous rejection of "Fiducia Supplicans," a declaration the Vatican issued successful 2023 that included guidelines connected the blessings of people successful same-sex relationships.

At 65 years old, helium is known arsenic a protagonist of orthodoxy and defends priestly celibacy and the Church's motivation teachings. He is besides known arsenic a promoter of societal justness and a champion of the mediocre and voiceless, and is outspoken successful his disapproval of the Congolese government.

Cardinal Mario Grech, caput wide for the Synod of Bishops

Cardinal Mario Grech, 68, is simply a canon lawyer who has large power connected however synods successful the religion are run. Supporters person praised him for starring the complaint successful implementing a much consultative and inclusive attack to religion governance.

Grech comes from Malta, which is 1 of the smallest countries successful the world.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's caput of state

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, is second-in-command astatine the Vatican and a vocation diplomat who has consistently risen supra immoderate turbulence marking the pontificate.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin

He is regarded arsenic a mean who, if elected, could repair rifts wrong the church. He is besides considered a progressive with a planetary vision.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, is simply a pastoral campaigner who has spoken retired amid the Israel-Hamas warfare and visited Gaza during the conflict.

He is simply a proponent of societal justness and sees himself arsenic a servant of the people. He is akin to Francis successful his interest for migrants, interfaith dialog and his disdain for clericalism.

Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines

Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, and pro-prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, is known arsenic the "Asian Francis" for his missionary tone arsenic good arsenic his accent connected caring for the mediocre and welcoming of LGBTQ and divorced and remarried Catholics.

He is the erstwhile archbishop of Manila, successful the Philippines, which is 1 of the astir Catholic countries connected the continent of Asia, and studied successful the U.S. for 7 years. His predetermination would awesome a continuation of Francis' pontificate.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, Italy

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, is the president of the Italian bishops conference. He is known arsenic a "street priest" and missionary and wants a religion that listens to the faithful and is consenting to modernize. Zuppi is inclusive of same-sex couples, arsenic good arsenic radical of antithetic religions.

Francis chose Zuppi arsenic his envoy to Russia and Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic to the West Bank and Beijing, to beforehand peace.

Cardinal Anders Arborelius, archbishop of Stockholm

Cardinal Anders Arborelius, 75, was raised Lutheran and converted to Catholicism astatine the property of 20. He is the archetypal ever cardinal from Scandinavia.

He is besides a traditionalist connected the church's teaching connected intersexual morals and gender, and has a beardown interest for the environment.

Arborelius has been a proponent of migration into Sweden, calling for dialog and integration alternatively of restrictions.

Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix of Quebec

Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix, Metropolitan Archbishop of Quebec, Canada, is 67 years old. Earlier successful his vocation helium spent years arsenic a missionary and seminary prof successful Colombia.

He temporarily stepped backmost from his duties amid intersexual maltreatment allegations, which helium denied, and returned to his duties past twelvemonth aft a church-led probe recovered nary grounds of misconduct.