With Pope Francis’ passing, the sacred whisper of succession has begun to echo through the marble halls of the Vatican. From the corridors of Rome to the cathedrals of Africa and Asia, at least 15 cardinals are considered “papabili” – those with a real shot at the papacy.
The spotlight shines brightly on the following names.
From Europe, we have:
- Pietro Parolin (Italy) – Vatican Secretary of State and global diplomat
- Pierbattista Pizzaballa (Italy) – Patriarch of Jerusalem and peace advocate
- Matteo Maria Zuppi (Italy) – Bologna’s beloved archbishop and Vatican peace envoy
- Claudio Gugerotti (Italy) – multilinguist and Eastern Churches expert
- Jean-Marc Aveline (France) – Marseille’s archbishop and interfaith dialogue champion
- Anders Arborelius (Sweden) – Sweden’s first cardinal and quiet reformer
- Mario Grech (Gozo, Malta) – bridge-builder and voice of synodality
- Peter Erdo (Hungary) – canon law scholar with a conservative edge
- Jean-Claude Hollerich (Luxembourg) – Jesuit, global thinker, and synodal strategist
From Asia:
- Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines) – eloquent, humble, and already papabile in 2013
- Charles Maung Bo (Myanmar) – human rights defender in a country at war
From Africa:
- Peter Turkson (Ghana) – respected economist and longtime Vatican leader
- Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (Congo) – outspoken, pastoral, and grounded in African Catholicism
From the Americas:
- Robert Francis Prevost (USA/Peru) – bishop-maker and Vatican powerhouse
- Timothy Dolan (USA) – media-savvy New Yorker with conservative roots
They differ in theology, background, and charisma – but all bring something unique to a Church at a crossroads. As the faithful and the curious look toward the next conclave and wait for white smoke, one thing’s certain: the future of Catholicism will be shaped by the voice it chooses next.
P.S. And if you’re in the mood to watch the drama unfold as much as read about it, I’ve rounded up a must-see list of films right here that will have you craving cassocks and conclaves.
xxx Ruth