Who could be the next pope?

Pope Francis, 88, the oldest pope successful implicit a century, died Monday morning, though quiescent discussions connected who could win him person reportedly already begun. 

While immoderate antheral Catholic could successful mentation beryllium chosen to beryllium successful the papal seat, historically, succeeding popes person been selected from the Sacred College of Cardinals since 1378, according to Religion News Service.

Currently, determination are 252 cardinals successful the assemblage who person been selected by the Holy Father to service arsenic his advisors and assistants. 

Here is simply a look astatine immoderate of the astir apt forerunners to service arsenic the 267th pope, according to nationalist reporting.

Pope Francis is seen delivering a homily during Mass with recently appointed cardinals.  (Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, Italy

Parolin, the Vatican’s caput of state, is the highest-ranking diplomat successful the Holy See – which is the governing assemblage of the Catholic Church – and is believed to beryllium among the cardinals astir apt to beryllium elected to the apical position.

His favour among cardinals successful the Sacred College, who volition ballot connected the adjacent pope, is owed to his politically mean presumption and his vocation successful diplomacy, reported The New York Post.

Parolin, who spent portion of his vocation successful Mexico and Nicaragua, was appointed by Pope Francis successful 2014 and would apt beryllium seen arsenic an hold of the existent papacy. 

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The Vatican's caput of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, attends the blessing ceremonial of the recently opened reception and integration halfway for Ukrainian refugees during the Bishops' Conference of Slovakia successful Kosice, Slovakia, connected Sept. 15, 2023. (Robert Nemeti/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, Philippines

Tagle is besides believed to beryllium a frontrunner among voting cardinals and serves arsenic the pro-prefect for the conception of archetypal evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization, arsenic good arsenic president of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious.

He has been dubbed the "Asian Pope Francis" peculiarly for their similarities erstwhile it comes to their much embracing presumption of the LGBTQI assemblage than their predecessors. 

In a 2015 interview, Tagle said the Church’s "severe" presumption connected the LGBTQI community, divorcees and azygous mothers was doing it harm. 

According to the Catholic Herald, Tagle "would beryllium hailed by liberals, fixed the changing demographic of the Church."

Pope Francis greets Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle during a ceremonial invited astatine the Presidential Palace successful Jakarta connected Sept. 4, 2024. (Tiziana FabiI/AFP via Getty Images)

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Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, Hungary

There are respective blimpish cardinals who are believed to beryllium apical contenders for the papacy, including Cardinal Peter Erdo, who has been captious of Francis’ presumption connected divorcement and immigration.

Erdo has argued that divorced oregon re-married Catholics should not beryllium allowed to person Holy Communion owed to his presumption regarding the "indissolubility of marriage."

The Catholic Herald pointed retired that appointing a blimpish pope pursuing Francis’ tenure would "send a almighty connection astir the absorption the Church would beryllium taking."

Erdo has besides differed from Francis greatly connected immigration and argued successful 2015 that permitting refugees to resettle is tantamount to quality trafficking.

Pope Francis greets the archbishop of Budapest, Cardinal Péter Erdő, aft arriving successful Budapest, Hungary, connected April 28, 2023. (Vatican Media Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, Democratic Republic of Congo

Another blimpish cardinal thought to beryllium a superior contender is Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu from the war-torn federation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Membership of the Catholic Church successful Africa is increasing faster than anyplace other successful the world, according to the Associated Press.

Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

The 65-year-old Ambongo controversially rejected Pope Francis' blessing of same-sex couples by the Catholic Church. In a missive signed by different African priests, they said they refused to travel the pontiff’s declaration due to the fact that specified unions are "contrary to the volition of God."

Cardinal Raymond Burke, 76, United States of America

The Wisconsin autochthonal and erstwhile archbishop of St. Louis is considered to beryllium the starring American candidate. The 76-year-old cardinal is besides viewed arsenic being from the blimpish broadside of the Church. 

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke attends the Consistory for the instauration of caller Cardinals led by Pope Francis astatine the St. Peter's Basilica successful Vatican City, Vatican. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

He is simply a proponent of the Latin Mass, and has been captious of Pope Francis regarding the Church’s caller connection astir artificial contraception, LGBT issues and civilian marriages. Burke was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI successful 2010.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, Italy

Pope Francis meets with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi during an assemblage astatine the Apostolic Palace connected Aug. 24, 2023, successful Vatican City. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Zuppi was calved successful Rome. He is the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference and is viewed arsenic an insider successful Francis’ Vatican, having served arsenic the archbishop of Bologna.

The 69-year-old Zuppi is seen arsenic being 1 of Pope Francis' favorites. He was sent connected a bid ngo successful 2023 to Ukraine, wherever helium met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was besides sent to conscionable with President Joe Biden that aforesaid year. 

Zuppi was made a cardinal by Pope Francis successful 2019.

The Vote

Of the 252 cardinals successful the Sacred College, lone 138 are nether the property of 80 and truthful are permitted to enactment successful the conclave, the papal predetermination process – though determination are nary property limitations for the campaigner who would service arsenic the aboriginal pope. 

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Following the decease of a pope, the conclave past holds a vote, and volition proceed to vote, until a pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority. 

At that time, the ballots volition beryllium burned with a chemic that produces achromatic smoke, arsenic opposed to achromatic smoke, to alert the satellite that a caller pope has been chosen.