'%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)
Pope Francis passed away at the Saint Martha House in Vatican City on April 21, 2025, aged 88. In the wake of this, the Daily Noud account on the social networking site X claimed that American rapper, songwriter, and record producer, Future, is one of the “top contenders” in the race to become the next head of the Catholic Church.
“JUST IN: Future is one of the top contenders to become the next Pope, according to Vatican experts,” Daily Noud wrote in the post, dated April 23, 2025.
The tweet also had images of the rapper as well as Pope Francis and amassed 5.2 million views in a day.
However, the now-viral claim has turned out to be fake. Future is not one of the top candidates to become the next Pope. Top-ranking cardinals can be a part of the race, and the artist has never been one.
Trending
Moreover, the Daily Noud account is noted for its satirical and fabricated content meant for virality and sensationalism. Its bio states:
“#1 Source For PARODY Hip-Hop News | Follow For Viral Content | These are fake stories | Not affiliated with @DailyLoud.”
Despite being a fake rumor that can now be debunked, the post earned wild reactions.
“Vatican experts really saw future,” a netizen wrote.
“Concerts every Sunday lmao,” another netizen wrote.
“I would love to hear the choir remixes,” a person joked.
“What about @kanyewest,” a user quipped.
Future has not addressed the matter yet.
All you need to know about the top contenders for the next Pope
According to AP News, there are several top contenders for the next Pope. They include Hungarian cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, who’s also the archbishop of Budapest; German cardinal Reinhard Marx, 71, who’s the archbishop of Munich and Freising, and has been Francis’ key adviser since 2013; and Canadian cardinal Marc Ouellet, 80, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the head of Bishop’s Office in Vatican.
Other candidates include the 70-year-old Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin; Chicago-born cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, who’s served as the archbishop of Peru; Guinean cardinal Robert Sarah, 79, who’s the retired head of Vatican’s liturgy office; Austrian cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, 80, who’s the archbishop of Vienna and a student of Benedict.
Some of the other front-runners are Filipino cardinal and archbishop of Manila, Luis Tagle, 67, who is the head of the Vatican’s missionary evangelization office; Italian cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, who is the archbishop of Bologna and the president of the Italian Bishops Conference;
According to Wanted in Rome, when a Pope dies, the Catholic community observes a 9-day mourning period, during which the deceased is buried between the 4th and 6th day. Then, between 15 to 20 days of his demise, begins the ‘conclave’ or ‘collegium’, aka, the process of electing the new sovereign. This transition period is called ‘Interregnum.’
While any baptized Catholic man is eligible to become the next Head of Church, only cardinals have been chosen since 1378, as per AP News. However, there are often front-runners in the race, dubbed “papabile,” and the winner must earn two-thirds of the vote of the College of Cardinals.
These votes aren't requested by the candidates—they’re simply earned during the election. Only cardinals under 80 can vote and must take a vow of secrecy, staying inside the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
Voting continues in rounds until one cardinal gets a two-thirds majority. People outside are informed through smoke signals: black smoke means no decision yet, while white smoke means a new pope has been chosen.
Following this, the College of Cardinals confirms his position with the winner who then chooses his papal name and is introduced from the balcony with the Latin announcement, “Habemus Papum,” meaning, “We Have a Pope.”
Throughout history, 266 Heads of the Catholic Church have been chosen, the majority of whom were European, except Francis, who was the first Latin American Pope, hailing from Argentina.
