With Pope Benedict XVI’s passing and Pope Francis’ seemingly fading health, many are reasonably asking who will take the reigns as head of the Catholic Church if Francis resigns or passes away. 

The Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, is the head of state of the Vatican City State and leader of the Catholic Church. Historically, the position of Pope was decided by a variety of means, but since the Middle Ages it has been an elected position, in which the holder was voted for by the cardinals of the Catholic Church (cardinals are clergy members who have been granted unique privileges and recognition by the Pope), with varying rules of which cardinals could vote and how many cardinals there were in the elections, known as conclaves. Today, there are 224 cardinals in the College of Cardinals, but only 125 are eligible to vote for the next Pope. This is because in 1970, Pope Paul VI decreed that cardinals under the age of 80 were the only ones permitted to vote for the next Pope. The candidates for Popes have to be a Catholic male, and essentially are required to be a cardinal (the last non Cardinal elected Pope was in 1378).

Cardinals who are considered strong contenders to be Pope by onlookers are called “papabile.” They are often picked due to their popularity among their peers and their experience. Often, the papabili are selected to become the next Pope, but sometimes not. Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI were among those expected to win, but the Pope before them, Pope Saint John Paul II, was not expected to become Pope. Today, I will be looking at a list of papabili set forth by Edward Pentin in his book called The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates.

Angelo Bagnasco

Born: 14 January 1943 (age 79)

Made Cardinal (By Pope Benedict XVI): 2006

Nationality: Italian

Angelo Bagnasco was Archbishop of Genoa (2006 to 2020), the President of the Episcopal Conference of Italy (2007 to 2017), and the President of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (2016 to 2021). These were the official bishop assemblies of their respective areas. He was also put in charge of supporting the Asian and Eastern Catholic Churches by Pope Benedict XVI. He is a very experienced cardinal, especially when it comes to leading other bishops, but also considered a conservative voice in the Vatican.

Raymond Leo Burke

Born: June 30, 1948 (age 74)

Created Cardinal (By Pope Benedict XVI): 2010

Nationality: American 

Raymond Leo Burke was Archbishop of St. Louis (2004-2008) and the Bishop of La Crosse (1995-2004). He served as prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (2008-2014), which is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church other than the Pope. Burke is considered the voice of traditionalism in the Church among prelates, and is seen for being a leader among the conservatives. He is known for his reactionary opinions, such as denying President Joe Biden communion for his stances on abortion. He has repeatedly come into conflict with the more liberal Pope Francis, which has led to his sidelining by the Pope.

Dominik Duka

Born: 26 April 1943 (age 79)

Created Cardinal (By Pope Benedict XVI): 18 February 2012

Nationality: Czech 

Dominik Duka was Archbishop of Prague (2010-2022), the Bishop of Hradec Králové (1998-2010), and a member of the Dominican Order He was appointed a member of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life (department concerning societies of apostolic life, and Societies of Apostolic Life and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (Council for justice, peace, and human rights)). He is known for his stances against Christian LGBT activists including Tomáš Halík, opposition of Muslim immigration to Europe, commententing that they could only be considered a “safe presences” if they made up less than 5% of the population. He has also been criticized for his closeness to Czech politicians, specifically Czech President Miloš Zeman.

Willem Jacobus Eijk

Born: 22 June 1953 (age 69)

Created Cardinal (By Pope Benedict XVI): 18 February 2012

Nationality: Dutch 

Willem Jacobus “Wim” Eijk has been both the Archbishop of Utrecht and Primate of the Netherlands since his appointment in 2007. He was formerly the Bishop of Groningen-Leeuwarden (1999-2007). Before becoming a cleric he was a practicing doctor. He is the President of the Bishops’ Conference of the Netherlands, and  was appointed to be a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education (congregation for overseeing Catholic universities and other higher education). He was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in 2014 (council for helping the Pope interact with individual non-clergy Catholics). Eijk has come into conflict with Pope Francis’ doctrine quite often, criticizing a apostolic exhortation (letter by Pope after a meeting of clergy), Amoris Laetitia, that Ejik believed muddled the Catholic doctrine that divorce was not allowed. He also was unhappy with Pope Francis’ handling of a German Bishops conference, mainly because Pope Francis did not reject the bishops’ proposal to allow communion to be given to Protestants who married Catholics.

Péter Erdő

Born: 25 June 1952 (age 70)

Created Cardinal (By Pope John Paul II): 5 November 1999

Nationality: Hungarian 

Péter Erdő is the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate of Hungary (both since 2002), and was formerly the Auxiliary Bishop of Székesfehérvár. He was president of Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (2006-2016). He has been granted numerous positions in the church, including five year terms as president of the Hungarian Episcopal Conference in 2005 and as president of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe in 2006. He was made a member of the second section of the Secretariat of State (the department in charge of relations with civil governments) in 2011. He is noted as being a relatively conservative cardinal, owing to his opposition of divorced Catholics who remarried being able to receive communion, and also his statements during the Syrian refugee crisis. He claimed that taking in migrants would amount to human trafficking, adding that Hungary was under “invasion” by them.

Gerhard Ludwig Müller

Born: 31 December 1947 (age 75)

Created Cardinal (by Pope Francis): 22 February 2014

Nationality: German 

Gerhard Ludwig Müller was Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (department in charge of defending the Catholic Church’s doctrines and theology from heresy) for five years, from his appointment in 2012. He was also Bishop of Regensburg (2002-2012). He was made a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura by Pope Francis in 2021. A more conservative cardinal, he stated in an interview published on 1 February 2015, that he “objected to the criticism of the church for its mishandling of clerical sexual abuse cases and for its continued condemnation of contraception, same-sex marriage, and declared incapacity to ordain women.” He has come into conflict with Pope Francis numerous times, including for his criticisms of how Pope Francis’s papacy was more liberal, and his complaints regarding the sudden dismissal of himself and three other cardinals from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He was criticized by the Diocese of Regensburg for his handling of a case of sexual abuse by priests when he was bishop there.

Wilfrid Fox Napier

Born: 8 March 1941 (age 81)

Created Cardinal (by Pope John Paul II): 21 February 2001

Nationality: South African 

Wilfrid Napier was the Archbishop of Durban (1992-2021) and Bishop of Kokstad (1981-1992). He was also the President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (1987-1993 and 2000-2008). A more moderate member of the College of Cardinals, but by no means does he stray from major Catholic consensus. He supported abstinence as a means of preventing AIDs, he criticized world leaders for not keeping with their climate change commitments, stating “We express our displeasure with local and international political leadership which has failed to take decisive steps to make the changes required for the survival of humanity and life on earth.” Napier criticized the American Black Lives Matters movement, stating that it had been hijacked due to its views expressed about the family and abortion, saying it undermined racial justice.

Seán Patrick O’Malley

Born: June 29, 1944 (age 78)

Created Cardinal (by Pope Benedict XVI): March 24, 2006

Nationality: American 

Seán Patrick O’Malley is the Archbishop of Boston, and a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (a monastic order). He was previously Bishop of Palm Beach (2002-2003), Fall Rivers (1992-2002), and Saint Thomas (1984-1992). He is a member of the Council of Cardinals (Cardinal advisors to the Pope), and has been the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors since 2017. O’Malley was known as a fixer in the Catholic Church for his handlings of dioceses afflicted by sex abuse scandals, and was appointed to Boston to replace the disgraced cardinal Bernard Law, who had covered up serial rape of children by priests in his diocese. O’Malley helped start the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, and has settled 101 abuse claims while initiating a zero tolerance policy against sexual abuse. He is a more moderate cardinal, but still believes in practices like not allowing gay people to adopt children, as exemplified by his closing of Catholic Charities of Boston’s adoption services after they were forced to allow gay couples to adopt.

Marc Armand Ouellet

Born: 8 June 1944 (age 78)

Created Cardinal (by Pope John Paul II): 19 March 2001

Nationality: Canadian 

Marc Ouellet was Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada (2003-2010). He was appointed to be a member of many Pontifical councils, including the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacrament (department for how liturgical practices are performed). He has also been the President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2010, and also prefect of the Congregation of Bishops (council that helps selects bishops). He commented that the office of the Pope was something he was not too keen on, mainly because of the amount of work one has to do, saying it would be a “nightmare.” On August 8, 2022, he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2008 at a cocktail party, but no criminal charges were made. Ouellet said the claims were defamatory, and after a preliminary investigation by the Vatican, Pope Francis determined that was not enough evidence for an investigation. Ouellet filed a defamation lawsuit in December 2022.

Pietro Parolin

Born: 17 January 1955 (age 67)

Created Cardinal (by Pope Francis): 22 February 2014

Nationality: Italian 

Pietro Parolin has been Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013 (in charge of political and diplomatic relations with other nations on behalf of the Pope, and helps administer the Vatican City when the Pope passes away). He has been a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers since 2014. Parolin has been a Papal diplomat for 30 years, and has  mediated numerous conflicts between nations, including the re-establishment of relations between the USA and Cuba. Parolin was also sent to have talks with the Taliban government in Afghanistan to discourage them from reprisal against civilians who worked with the US-led coalition. He called for negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine War, and he stated that it was morally legitimate to supply Ukraine with weapons.

Mauro Piacenza

Born: 15 September 1944 (age 78)

Created Cardinal (by Pope Benedict XVI): 20 November 2010 

Nationality: Italian 

Mauro Piacenza has been the Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary since 2013 (person in charge of one of the three tribunals in Rome, specifically the one in charge of excommunications, issuing indulgences, and sacramental impediments).

He was previously Undersecretary of the Congregation for the Clergy (2000-2003) and Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy (2010–2013) (department in charge of overseeing matters involving priests and deacons). He was praised by Benedict XVI for his “traditionalist ecclesiastical line of thought” and “his efficiency and in-depth knowledge of how the Congregation worked and its problems.”

Patabendige Don Albert Malcolm Ranjith

(Malcolm Ranjith)

Born: 15 November 1947 (age 75)

Created Cardinal (by Pope Benedict XVI): 20 November 2010

Nationality: Sri Lankan 

Malcolm Ranjith is the Archbishop of Colombo (since 2009), and  was previously the auxiliary Bishop of Colombo (1991-1995), Bishop of Ratnapura (1995-2001), and the Apostolic Nuncio (ecclesiastical diplomat) to Indonesia and Timor (2005-2009). He was also secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship (2005-2009) and President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Sri Lanka (since 2010).

Gianfranco Ravasi

Born: 18 October 1942 (age 80)

Created Cardinal (by Pope Benedict XVI): 29 September 2007

Nationality: Italian 

Gianfranco Ravasi is a biblical scholar, and was President of the Pontifical Council for Culture from (2007-2022). He was also appointed to be a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 2016, as well as numerous other pontifical councils. He is known as a great theologian and for his openness for dialogue among opposing viewpoints and his affable approach to different cultures.

Robert Sarah

Born: 15 June 1945 (age 77)

Created Cardinal (by Pope Benedict XVI): 20 November 2010

Nationality: Guinea 

Robert Sarah was the Archbishop of Conakry (1979–2001), the Prefect of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Congregation for Divine Worship) (2014-2021), and the secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples under Pope John Paul II. Sarah is a noted traditionalist and defender of the Latin Mass (traditional Catholic mass, known for latin preaching and communion only given out by priests), but did believe that a middle ground could be reached between its supports and the supporters of Novus Ordo mass (New and standard mass, known for preaching done in the local language, and communion being handed out by both priests and laymen). Sarah’s tenure as Archbishop of Conakry saw him come into conflict with the Guinean dictator Ahmed Sékou Touré, who put Sarah on a deathlist. Sarah helped keep the Church in Guinea independent from Touré’s dictatorship. Sarah shares many conservative views that are commonplace in Africa, especially his fierce opposition of same-sex marriage and gay rights, stating “You cannot join Christ and Belial! (The Devil) What Nazi-Fascism and Communism were in the 20th century, Western homosexual and abortion Ideologies and Islamic Fanaticism are today.” He is also known for his opposition of ISIS but praise of the zeal Muslims had in their worship. 

Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert Graf von Schönborn

(Christoph Schönborn)

Born: 22 January 1945 (age 77)

Created Cardinal (by Pope John Paul II): 21 February 1998

Nationality: Austrian 

Christoph Schönborn has been the Archbishop of Vienna since 1995, he was the chairman of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference (1998-2020). Schönborn serves in many pontifical departments, including the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and he was noted for his successes and willingness to fight against sexual abuse. This includes his condemning of the actions of the previous Archbishop of Vienna, Hans Hermann Groër, who sexually abused minors in his diocese. Schönborn opposed the installation of Gerhard Wagner as auxiliary bishop of Linz, Austria, because the Vatican did not consult the Austrian bishops on his appointment.  Many protested Wagner because of his highly conservative views, including blaming the Hurricane Katrina disaster on the sins of the New Orleans’ homosexuals and abortionists. Schönborn is noted for moderate and even handed views, as he supported interfaith dialogue and allowed a rock performance to be performed at St. Stephen’s Cathedral to raise funds for HIV patients. Schönborn supported a mass to remember World Aids Day, along with the Order of Malta (Catholic humanitarian assistance religious order), and Gery Keszler (organizer of the Life Ball). He has a more conciliatory view towards same-sex couples, and said he would not deny them a blessing, but he does not support same-sex marriage.

Angelo Scola

Born: 7 November 1941 (age 81)

Created Cardinal (by Pope John Paul II): 21 October 2003

Nationality: Italian 

Angelo Scola was the Patriarch of Venice (2002-2011), the Archbishop of Milan (2011-2017), and also Bishop of Grosseto (1991-1995). Scola became the Rector Magnificus of the Lateran University (1995–2002) and President of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute (1995-2002). He supports the Traditional Latin Mass, and reversed restrictions against it implemented in his dioceses by his predecessors. Scola opposed communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, unless they lived in celibacy. He supported ecumenism, as well as peace and understanding between Muslims, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians.

Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle

(“Chito”)

Born: June 21, 1957 (age 65)

Created Cardinal (by Pope Benedict XVI): November 24, 2012

Nationality: Filipino 

Luis Antonio Tagle is the Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of Dicastery for Evangelization as of 2022. Chito is also the President of Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious (2019-). He was previously the Archbishop of Manila (2011-2019) and Bishop of Imus (2001-2011). Chito is considered to be the representative of the progressive wing of the Vatican, as he criticized the Catholic Church’s use of “harsh words” describing LGBT people as well as divorced and remarried Catholics. He stated they should be given communion on a case by case basis. 

 Chito has defended the Church’s positions on abortion, contraception, and so called “practical atheism.” (Practical atheism is when one lives their life with disregard towards a god, but not necessarily deny their existence).

Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson

Born: 11 October 1948 (age 74)

Created Cardinal (by Pope John Paul II): 21 October 2003

Nationality: Ghanaian 

Peter Turkson is the chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (since 2022), was Archbishop of Cape Coast (1992-2009), and president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (2007-2017). Turkson was a member of numerous Pontifical departments, and has been sent by Popes Benedict XVI and Francis to numerous warring countries to try and seek a peaceful solution, in the Ivory Coast and South Sudan respectively. He disagreed with the idea of using condoms to solve Africa’s AIDS crisis, stating that the quality of condoms in Africa were low quality, and would give false confidence to their users. He instead supported the ideas of fidelity and abstinence to solve the AIDS crisis, and advocated for the redirection of funds for condoms to antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDs treatment. He endorsed Uganda’s anti-sodomy laws and has defended Africa’s culture of stigmatization against homosexuals.

Matteo Maria Zuppi

Born: 11 October 1955 (age 67)

Created Cardinal (by Pope Francis): 5 October 2019

Nationality: Italian 

Matteo Zuppi is the Archbishop of Bologna (since 2015). He is also the president of the Episcopal Conference of Italy, and he was auxiliary Bishop of Rome (2012-2015). 

He is a supporter of traditional Latin Mass, and also supported bringing LGBT people more into the fold with the Catholic Church. He was accused by critics of blessing a gay couple after their civil wedding; the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith forbade the blessing of homosexual couples in a 2021 release.