Will the next pope be from Asia?

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — There whitethorn lone beryllium a fewer days earlier the College of Cardinals gathers wrong the Sistine Chapel to elite the adjacent person of the Catholic Church, and, for the archetypal clip successful history, an Asian pope is simply a existent possibility.

Of the 23 cardinals from Asia eligible to vote, 1 sanction comes up again and again, that of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, sometimes called the "Philippine Francis."

The 67-year-old had a adjacent narration with Pope Francis and served arsenic his envoy to Asia during the 2015-16 peculiar Jubilee Year, during which helium made a little halt successful Taipei, Taiwan. Tagle besides accompanied Francis connected his archetypal planetary travel to Asia successful 2014, erstwhile the pontiff visited South Korea.

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Pope Francis, right, waves to Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, left, during a ceremonial invited astatine the Presidential Palace successful Jakarta Sept. 4, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images)

Pope Francis achieved respective "firsts" successful Asia, including becoming the archetypal pontiff to sojourn Myanmar successful 2017 and Mongolia successful 2023. Thomas Tu, a Vatican diplomacy adept astatine Taiwan’s National Chengchi University, told Fox News Digital that portion Mongolia is location to lone astir 1,400 Catholics, it present hosts a cardinal, but helium is Italian-born and conscionable 50 years old, making his predetermination arsenic pope unlikely.

Another Asian campaigner is Burma's Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, 76, from a state wherever Catholics correspond conscionable astir 1% of the population. Meanwhile, implicit the past respective days, reports from South Korean newspapers are suggesting South Korean Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, 74, is among the starring candidates to win Pope Francis.

Pope Francis greets the radical of China arsenic helium concludes Mass successful the Hun Theatre Sept. 3, 2023, successful Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Catholicism is increasing rapidly successful South Korea, according to Taipei-based Tu, who told Fox News Digital some Buddhists and Protestants person been converting astatine astonishing rates. 

"Unlike successful Brazil, wherever Catholics are losing members to Evangelicals, Korea’s Catholic Church is attracting caller followers," Tu said. Then-Bishop Lazarus You Heung-sik is wide credited with helping transportation Pope Francis to marque South Korea the archetypal halt connected his Asian travels successful 2014. Heung-sik was made a cardinal by Pope Francis successful 2022.

Pope Francis, right, walks with the Bishop of Daejon, Lazarus You Heung-sik, arsenic helium arrives astatine the Shrine of Solmoe, birthplace of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, successful Dangjin Aug. 15, 2014. (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images)

Francis whitethorn 1 time beryllium rated arsenic among the astir influential popes of each time. Pope John Paul II made past by becoming the archetypal pope from Poland and his pontificate lasted 26 years (1978-2006). Francis was caput of the Catholic Church for a overmuch shorter time, astir precisely 12 years, but the precocious pope appointed 80% of the cardinals who volition ballot for his successor. 

The precocious Holy Father besides enlarged the fig of cardinals and, for the archetypal clip successful history, the upcoming conclave volition spot European cardinals successful the minority. However, immoderate experts pass against assuming the adjacent pope volition beryllium "Francis the Second," arsenic galore of these caller cardinals are considered much conservative.  

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This representation taken Aug. 10, 2018, shows a motorcyclist riding past the Holy Spirit Church successful Yanshui, astir an hour's thrust from the confederate metropolis of Tainan. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

The location federation of Asian cardinals doesn’t needfully bespeak the fig of Catholics there. In Japan, Catholics marque up less than 0.5% of the population, but determination is simply a Japanese cardinal who is reasonably progressive connected societal media. The largest Asian artifact of cardinals hails from majority-Hindu India, which has six to the predominately Catholic Philippines’ five. 

Still, galore Vatican watchers judge Cardinal Tagle remains the astir apt Asian candidate, though his progressive stances whitethorn beryllium divisive. Tagle has publically criticized the religion for utilizing "harsh words" successful past criticisms of LGBTQ Catholics and remarried divorcees and advocates for a much flexible approach. This stance is successful enactment with Pope Francis’ 2015 papal declaration that said the religion needs to "avoid judgments which bash not instrumentality into relationship the complexity of assorted situations."

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo poses with relatives during a courtesy sojourn Feb. 14, 2015, astatine the Vatican. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images)

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Should Tagle bushed the likelihood and go the adjacent pope, his predetermination would energize the church’s progressive wing, arsenic helium would apt proceed the liberal-leaning absorption charted by Francis. His accent connected serving the mediocre has won him admiration crossed Asia and beyond, arsenic has his relatable style. Tagle reportedly prefers being called by his nickname "Chito," alternatively than by his ceremonial title. 

Pope Francis officiating the General Audience successful Saint Peter's square. Pope Francis unneurotic with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. (Photo by Grzegorz Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

Thomas Tu shared a idiosyncratic communicative astir Tagle’s compassion, recalling an incidental earlier the cardinal received his reddish hat. After a young seminarian died suddenly, Tagle chose to articulation the radical of elder seminary members and personally sojourn the grieving family, aboriginal giving a moving sermon successful which helium "compared the religion to a mother, akin to the 1 who had mislaid her son," Tu said. "Tagle conscionable has a mode of reaching radical that is special."

Few quality that the predetermination of the adjacent pope volition beryllium among the astir consequential moments for the Catholic Church successful decades. And, for the archetypal time, candidates from Asia are present portion of superior conversations astir the aboriginal absorption of the faith.