Who could succeed Pope Francis as pope?

VATICAN CITY — A day after Pope Francis died of a stroke, debates over who might follow him as the pontiff had already started.

The process to select a new pope itself is done in secrecy, with the ballots of each vote, whether one is chosen or not, are burned. It also happens behind locked doors in the Sistine Chapel with no access to phones, internet or newspapers.

There are rules on who can become pope. It can be any Catholic male, but since 1378, it’s only been a cardinal who has been called to serve, The Associated Press reported.

He must receive at least two-thirds vote from cardinals under the age of 80, who are allowed to vote.

Like any election, there are front-runners, but they may not be the ones who have enough ballots in their favor in the end.

Pope Francis was 76 when he was chosen in 2013, and had been deemed too old. Pope John Paul II was not on any lists that would see him considered a front-runner, the AP reported.

Here are some of the cardinals that may become pope:

Cardinal Péter Erdő, 72, is the archbishop of Budapest and primate of Hungary. He was elected twice to lead the Council of European Episcopal Conferences. Erdo was one of the organizers of Pope Francis’ Vatican meetings in 2014 and 2015 on the family. He also helped organize Francis’ trips to Budapest in 2021 and 2023. Erdő, at the age of 51 at the time, was one of the youngest cardinals when he was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II in 2003.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, 71, is the archbishop of Munich and Freising and was chosen by Pope Francis to be one of his advisors in 2013. He was put in charge of the council overseeing the Vatican’s finances. He offered to resign in 2021 when the German church was under fire for abuse, but Pope Francis declined his offer. He was elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict in 2010.

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, 80, is a retired Canadian prelate who served as the head of the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops. He would select candidates for governing churches worldwide in episcopacies. He was considered a contender for the papacy when Pope Francis was selected, but said, “I don’t see myself at that level, not at all.”

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, is from Italy and has worked with Pope Francis as his secretary of state since 2014. The AP said he is one of the main contenders because of “his prominence in the Catholic hierarchy.”

Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, is from Chicago, and if selected, would be the first American-born pope. He is now the prefect of the dicastery for bishops. In the past, he ran the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru and was a missionary. Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal in 2023.

Cardinal Robert Sarah, 79, is the retired head of the Vatican liturgy office and is from Guinea. He was considered, according to the AP, “the best hope for an African pope.” He co-wrote a book with Pope Benedict that said that continued celibacy for Latin Rite priests was a “necessity,” at a time when Pope Francis considered allowing married priests in the Amazon to make up for the lack of clergy.

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, 80, is the archbishop of Vienna, Austria. While studying under Pope Benedict, he agreed with the outreach done by Pope Francis to Catholics who divorced and were remarried in civil services.

Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, is from the Philippines and could become the first Asian pope. He was brought to Rome by Pope Francis to be the head of the missionary evangelization office, which serves much of Asia and Africa. He is one of the youngest contenders in a position that is typically for life.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, is the archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian bishops’ conference. He was part of the Vatican group that helped bring an end to the Mozambique civil war in the 1990s and was the peace envoy in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. He was made cardinal by Francis in 2019, and like the late pope, is considered a “street priest,” who ministers to marginalized people.

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