New conclave is imminent: Who will be the next Pope?

New conclave is imminent: Who will be the next Pope?

On April 28, 2025, the Catholic Church faces an important and historically significant course: After the death of Pope Francis, the search for a new head of the Roman Catholic Church is underway. The old Pope was buried in the Marienkirche Santa Maria Maggiore, his grave only bears his name in Latin: Franciscus.

Currently there is still no specified date for the conclave, the choice of 267 Pope, whereby the 5th or May 6th is considered likely. The conclave traditionally takes place in the Sistine chapel, where all cardinals under 80 come together with the exclusion of the outside world to choose a successor. To be elected, a candidate needs more than two thirds of the votes. Successful elections are signaled by rising white smoke from a fireplace.

The role of cardinals

In Rome, all 135 cardinals entitled to vote have arrived to take part in this historical process. Since many of them vote for the first time, the conclave is considered particularly open. Of the 135 cardinals, over 100 have been appointed by Francis in the past twelve years, with only 53 comes from Europe. The distribution of the cardinals entitled to vote shows a colorful composition:

Some of the most prominent candidates are in the conversation with the Italian Pietro Parolin, the current number two of the Vatican, and Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch by Jerusalem. Parolin, 70 years old, is recognized as an excellent diplomat. PizzaBalla, 60 years old, is from the Franciscan order and is considered a bridge builder in a difficult diocese.

discussion of the possible scenarios

The choice is shaped by different scenarios that will discuss the cardinals in the coming days. These include, among other things, the choice of a "Pope that brings calm to the church" (slogan), a reform pope (Franziskus II) or a conservative pope. The Vatican expert Andreas English emphasizes Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille, as a new favorite, since he has acted cautiously in his communication and shares many style and politics with the deceased Pope.

The choice can take a few hours to several weeks, there is no defined time limit. Rest days can be taken to give the cardinals time for prayers and internal conversations. At each choice, a secret voting is carried out and the votes are evaluated by burning the ballot papers. Black smoke signals that no Pope has been chosen yet, while white smoke indicates a successful choice.

The complexity of the pope election has grown through the centuries and is reflected in the express rules, which, among other things, determine that all cardinals entitled to vote must be under 80 years old the day before the sedis vacancy. These regulations have been reformed over time in order to ensure the possible smooth and independent election [OE24] that the election is considered particularly internationally and diverse.

The upcoming papacy choice promises to be another chapter in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, which is characterized by the current challenges and the need to lead the church into a stable and hopeful future. Among the 135 cardinals entitled to vote, which participate in this historical moment, a new direction for the head of the Church [ZDF] and even show new ways of how the head of the Roman Catholic Church could act in today's world [Wikipedia].