Who will succeed Pope Francis?
After the death of Pope Francis, 135 eligible cardinals under the age of 80, known as cardinal electors, will elect the new head of the Catholic Church from among their ranks. The top candidates include Pietro Parolin from Italy and Péter Erdö from Hungary. Around 80 percent of the cardinal electors were appointed by Francis, but according to Europe's press it is by no means certain that his course will be continued.
Africa weighs heavily in the balance
On Contributors website, political analyst Radu Carp takes a look at which regions of the world are most important to the Vatican right now:
“Africa and China are priorities for the Catholic Church in 2025, just as Latin America was in 2013. Those called upon to elect the new pope will have to take this reality into account. Since there are no bishops from China represented in the Vatican conclave, the decisive factor will be how the potential candidates position themselves towards Africa. This is the continent with the highest population growth, a conversion rate to Catholicism twice the global average, and a large number of Christian martyrs awaiting canonisation.”
A Hungarian pope? Pros and cons
Business paper Portfolio weighs up the strengths and weaknesses of Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő as a candidate:
“Erdő's outstanding intellectual and theological stature is a strong argument for his election: he enjoys considerable authority as a canonist and theologian. He is conservative, but not a divisive figure. ... He speaks several languages and has been an active contributor to international Church forums. However, his age - he's 72 - could work against him. ... What's more, his Hungarian nationality is controversial: although not officially relevant, the political situation and the current state of religious life in the country could affect his image.”
Worldly power games afoot
Europe no longer has the upper hand in the College of Cardinals, Correio da Manhã points out:
“In this once overwhelmingly Christian Europe, the Church continues to lose ground, and neither Francis's kindness nor his popularity have been able to reverse this trend. There is much curiosity about the profile of whoever becomes the new pontiff: will he be more conservative or progressive, and which geographical region will he come from? Although the official narrative cites divine inspiration and the blessing of the Holy Spirit, as in all human institutions which wield power, the election will involve coups, venal sins and perhaps even mortal sins. After all, the conclave is a gathering of human beings.”
A man at the institutional centre
La Stampa explains why Cardinal Pietro Parolin is seen as the favourite:
“Since it is unthinkable to take a step backwards after Bergoglio's unfinished renewal and erase the most revolutionary papacy in recent history, it will be the new pope's task to find solutions to urgent questions and planned changes that have been halted by the reactions of the 'other' church. ... Will women be allowed to say mass at some point? Should the blessing of homosexuals be continued? Will married priests be accepted in the house of the Lord? Answers to these questions will take time and require a truce between the conflicting parties. ... Such a task requires experience and knowledge of the complex system of the Church which affects the whole world. Hence the candidature of Secretary of State Parolin.”
Time for a black pope
Dejan Steinbuch, editor-in-chief of +Portal, hopes for another bold choice:
“If the cardinals are able to reach an agreement during the conclave on what kind of universal Church leader is the best choice for the next decade or more, then another miracle could happen. Perhaps we will get the first black pope (Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah's name has been mentioned), which would finally rid the Church of old prejudices and traumas. I say miracle because in a sense Francis already accomplished one by refuting prophecies that the Roman Catholic Church was facing difficult times or even collapse.”
Conservatives in pole position
The next pope will come from the Global South again and therefore not be a liberal, the Financial Times speculates:
“Those divisions [between liberals and conservatives] will carry into what is set to be a hard-fought contest for his succession. Today's Catholic church is increasingly, in terms of membership, one of the Global South, and cardinals will face pressure to elect another pope from beyond Europe, and one sensitive to issues of poverty and the environment. Yet many church leaders, and adherents, from the Global South are also socially conservative - in contrast to some more liberal-minded followers in wealthier countries.”
Maintain key messages
The conclave should elect a successor who, like Francis, champions mercy and inclusion, the Times of Malta urges:
“The forces of religious conservatism, sometimes dangerously aligned with far-right political movements, are pushing for a return to a more rigid, exclusionary Catholicism. Such a retreat would not only betray Francis's legacy but would accelerate the Church's irrelevance in an increasingly pluralistic world. ... The next conclave must recognise that Francis's approach was not about following secular trends but about recovering the essential Christian message of love, mercy, and radical inclusion.”
Focus on the faithful
Welt newspaper considers a fundamental change of course unnecessary:
“Neither a Western European liberal reformism nor a religious ultra-conservatism of the 'Global South' would do justice to the circumstances, both would divide. ... It would make sense now to streamline and consolidate work processes and return to what is institutionally necessary in the Vatican so that it doesn't continue to bring unrest to the universal Church. Let the cardinals in the conclave decide as they see fit. ... But if for once a person who doesn't seem particularly unusual and has nothing particular in mind, but simply wants to create a faithful community were elected, it could do the Church good.”