'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In the wake of Pope Francis' death on Easter Monday, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson are among the top contenders listed as his potential successors. The successor will be chosen during a conclave, held a few days after Pope Francis' funeral.
For the unversed, the late Pope died at 88 after suffering a stroke. His ailment led to a coma, followed by heart failure on April 21, 2025, over 12 years after he was elected the pope in 2013. His funeral is reportedly scheduled for April 26. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will preside over the funeral to be held in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Trending
It is unclear when the conclave to vote for his successor will be held. However, as per tradition, the conclave is usually held 15 to 20 days after a Pope's death. All cardinals under 80 can vote during the conclave, and a successor is chosen based on a two-thirds majority.
Pope Francis elected several of the present-day cardinals during his papacy, and this will be their first conclave.
Pietro Parolin, Peter Turkson, and Luis Tagleare among the many contenders for the next Pope
One of the frontrunners for the next Pope includes Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, aged 70, who has been the Vatican's Secretary of State since 2013. He was also the late pope's chief adviser and runs the Church's central administration.
According to the BBC, Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson is another likely candidate. If elected he stands to become the first African pope in over 15 centuries. In 2003, Turkson made history as the first cardinal from Ghana.
Other candidates include Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, and Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, among others.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Cardinal Pietro Parolin is listed as the "continuity candidate" due to his connection with his predecessor. As the Vatican’s secretary of state, Pietro Parolin, aged 70, also dealt with various diplomatic issues, including negotiations with China and Vietnam. He also attended Colombia’s peace agreement signing in 2016. While he shared some of Pope Francis' progressive outlooks during his papacy, Pietro Parolin has been critical of same-sex marriages, calling Ireland's landmark vote legalizing same-sex marriages "a defeat for humanity" in 2015.
Cardinal Peter Turkson
According to The Guardian, Peter Turkson, a 76-year-old cardinal from Ghana, has been vocal about issues such as the ongoing climate crisis. While he previously shared the conservative views of the church, he had shown more leniency of late, criticizing the criminalization of same-sex relationships in African countries. In a 2013 interview with the BBC, he expressed his views about the possibility of becoming a pope, saying, "I'm not sure whether anyone does aspire to become a pope."
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
Tagle stands to become the first Asian pope if elected. Hailing from the Philippines, the 67-year-old former Archbishop of Manila has been liberal about his views regarding same-sex relationships. According to the BBC, he requested the church to revisit its "severe" stance towards "gay people, divorcees and single mothers" back in 2015. However, he has strongly condemned abortion, calling it "a form of murder."
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi
Hailing from Italy, 69-year-old Matteo Zuppi was appointed a cardinal in 2019. His liberal views echo those of the late Pope Francis. He was also made the Vatican peace envoy for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia and had visited Moscow to “encourage gestures of humanity.” Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna, also helped facilitate the end of the civil war in Mozambique.
Cardinal Péter Erdő
The 72-year-old cardinal from Hungary is among the most respectable figures in the Chruch of Europe after he was made a cardinal at age 51. This will be Erdő's third consecutive conclave. He has led the Council of European Bishops' Conferences twice and helped facilitate Pope Francis' multiple visits to Hungary. Erdő's views border on conservative, and in 2015, he opposed Pope Francis' views regarding churches taking in migrants, comparing it to human trafficking.
Cardinal Robert Sarah
Hailing from Guinea, 79-year-old Robert Sarah is known for his conservative views, which would set him apart from his predecessor's progressive approach. He became the youngest archbishop at age 34 and headed the Vatican office overseeing the Catholic Church's liturgical rites until his retirement in 2021.
Cardinal Michael Czerny
The 78-year-old cardinal from Canada is a Jesuit like his predecessor. Born in Czechoslovakia, Czerny's family migrated to Canada in 1948. Known for his progressive views, he currently heads the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Human Integral Development. He has also led the human rights institute in El Salvador and was Pope Francis' "point man" on migrants.
Other contenders apart from Pietro Parolin and others mentioned earlier, includes Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech, American Cardinal Robert Prevost, German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, and Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino Calaça de Mendonça, among others.
