Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, the Catholic Church has entered a period known as sede vacante, which is Latin for “the seat being vacant” while the search of the successor of the late pontiff begins.
There is a possibility that, for the first time in centuries, the next pope could come from Africa or Asia, or another region traditionally underrepresented in the Church’s leadership.
Of the 138 cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave, a total of 110 were appointed by Pope Francis. This group is notably more diverse than previous electors, with a higher representation from Asia, Africa and Latin America, reflecting Francis’s goal of mirroring the Church’s global reach. The youngest cardinal elector is only 45 years old, a Ukrainian clergyman based in Australia.
During the “sede vacante” (vacant seat) period when the papal office is unoccupied a senior cardinal, known as the Camerlengo, currently occupied by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the head of the Vatican’s laity office, certifies the pope’s death and temporarily takes charge of the Vatican’s finances and administrative affairs.
This triggers the centuries-old process of selecting a new pope from among 240 cardinals in the church.
The College of Cardinals, comprising of senior Catholic clergy – many appointed by Francis himself – will elect the next pope. To be eligible, a candidate must be a baptised, male Roman Catholic, though for centuries, the cardinals have exclusively selected someone from their ranks.
Cardinals below the age of 80, when the pope dies or resigns, vote in what is known as the papal conclave. To prevent outside influence, the conclave locks itself in the Sistine Chapel and deliberates on potential successors.
While the number of papal electors is typically capped at 120, there are currently 138 eligible voters. Each member casts his vote via secret ballots, a process overseen by nine randomly selected cardinals. A two-thirds majority is traditionally required to elect the new pope, and voting continues until this threshold is met.
After each round, the ballots are burned with chemicals, producing either black or white smoke, signalling to the world about the outcome. Black smoke signals that no decision has been made, while white smoke means a new pope has been elected. Once the pope is elected, a top cardinal announces his name from Saint Peter’s Basilica.
With no clear frontrunner, attention has turned to a number of high-ranking cardinals considered potential successors to the 266th pontiff, who led the Church from 2013 until his death at age 88.
Among the African cardinals being discussed are Ghana’s Peter Turkson, the former head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He previously led the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and was the first prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development
Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa is also another committed conservatives who have been vocal advocates for peace in their respective countries.
Another strong contender is Philippine Cardinal Luis Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila. Like Pope Francis, Tagle emphasises social justice and caring for the poor. He also serves as President of the Catholic Biblical Federation, Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, and is actively involved in several Roman Curia departments.
Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo is seen as a leading conservative candidate and could serve as a bridge to Eastern Christians. The archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Erdo, is a traditionalist who has championed outreach to Orthodox Christians, stressing the “desperate need” for unity between the churches.
Also in the mix is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state, whose top diplomatic role ensures he is well known by all cardinals.
Other possible candidates include Italy’s Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, and Malta’s Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, a position that kept him in close contact with Pope Francis.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin (Italy) Parolin is the Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013 and joined the Council of Cardinals in 2014, the same year he was elevated to cardinal.
Cardinal Péter Erdő (Hungary) Erdő is the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate of Hungary since 2003
Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke (USA) Burke is a prominent conservative figure in the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of St. Louis and Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Church’s highest court, from 2008 to 2014. He was also Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta between 2014 and 2023.
Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk (Netherlands) Eijk, a former medical doctor and moral theologian, has been Archbishop of Utrecht since 2007 and became a cardinal in 2012.
Cardinal Mario Grech (Malta) Grech serves as Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops since 2020, playing a pivotal role in the global synodal process.
Cardinal Angelo Scola (Italy) Scola is a seasoned theologian and philosopher who served as Archbishop of Milan from 2011 to 2017 and Patriarch of Venice before that.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM is an Italian Catholic prelate who has served as Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since November 6, 2020.
As 1.4 billion Catholics around the world mourn the death of Pope Francis, they now await news of who will take up the mantle of spiritual leadership within the next few days.
