The next Pope: An overview of possible candidates
The next Pope: An overview of possible candidates
An old saying about Papal elections Rel = "NOFOLLOW" TARGET = "_ blank" href = "https://cnn.com/2025/04/28/world/conclave-pope-selection-intl-dg"> Conclave Entries as a cardinal. " In other words, every candidate who is considered a favorite before the start of the election should be considered with caution, and no cardinal should assume in the Sistine chapel to obtain the necessary votes.
The decisive election in 2013
At the concrete 2013, one of the favorites Cardinal Angelo Scola from Milan was. The Italian bishops were so certain that he would be chosen that a high -ranking church representative immediately after the rise of the white smoke from the Vatican sent a message to the reporters, in which he expressed his joy about Scola's choice. The problem, however, was that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio had already been appointed Pope.
The future of the Roman Catholic Church
The upcoming KOLLAVE will be crucial for the future direction of the Roman-Catholic Church, and the list of candidates is thanks to the reforms Pope Francis wide open.
In the course of his pontificate, Francis introduced fundamental changes in the composition of the body, which will choose his successor in order to make it more representative for the worldwide church. He broke with the old, unofficial rule, according to which bishops of certain dioceses were automatically named cardinals, and instead gave the red hats in regions that had previously had no cardinals such as Tonga, Haiti and Papua News. Many of these bishops are "career changers" in the Roman system, which makes it difficult to predict their voter behavior.
The challenges for voters
Nevertheless, only a few cardinals have the necessary skills, experiences and personalities that are necessary to lead the Roman Catholic Church. The voters have to take the and the profile of the next candidate. You also have to weigh whether the next Pope should continue the reforms initiated by Francis or take another course.
We are looking for a personality that can lead the global church and offer credible moral leadership on the world stage. Some see the future of the church in Asia, which is why it is speculated that the next Pope could come from Southeast Asia. Age also plays a role, since older popes have been chosen in the last two complics to ensure shorter pontificates.The favorites among the papabili
Papal candidates are referred to as "papabiles", which means "Papstable" translated from the Italian. The vast majority of the Papabili was appointed by Pope Franziskus Only two were elected by his predecessors. The possible candidates include:
among the favorites could also appear other candidates. Cardinal Mario Grech, 68, the Maltese director of the church's synodria, could be appealing for some - as well as Cardinal Stephen Chow, 65, the Bishop of Hong Kong, known for his diplomatic and pastoral skills. The Italian Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, impressed with his leadership qualities as a patriarch of Jerusalem during the Israel Hamas War.
Another promising candidate is the Brazilian Cardinal Jaime Spengler, 64, who has also shown strong leadership qualities by being elected chairman of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference.
This article has been updated to note that two Papabili was appointed by the predecessors of Pope Francis.