Pope Francis Dies, Who Would Be The New Pontiff? A Look At Probables

Last Updated:April 21, 2025, 14:07 IST

The successor to Pope Francis will likely be chosen by the College of Cardinals in a secret conclave held in the Sistine Chapel. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote.

Pope Francis at the main balcony of St Peter's basilica during the Urbi et Orbi message (Photo: AFP)

Pope Francis died on Monday, aged 88, a day after making a much-hoped-for appearance at Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, the Vatican said in a statement.

“Dearest brothers and sisters, it is with deep sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.

“This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church."

Francis’s death came just a day after he delighted the crowds of worshippers at the Vatican on Easter Sunday with an appearance on the balcony at Saint Peter’s Basilica despite still convalescing after a severe illness.

He spent 38 days in the hospital as he suffered from double pneumonia, before he was released on March 23.

PROBABLE SUCCESSORS

According to some media reports, the names of four people had come forward while Pope Francis struggled with double pneumonia in February this year.

Cardinal Peter Erdo: Erdo represents the more orthodox side of the Church. He has very strong conservative views on issues like remarriage and divorce, which he has always opposed. The 72-year-old is a former president of the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe. According to the Independent, Pedro has compared the act of taking in refugees to human trafficking.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin: It is most likely that the next Pope could be Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as he is the highest-ranking cardinal in the electing conclave and has been the Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013. In his latest interview with the Italian newspaper L’Eco di Bergamo, Parolin commented on several issues. He is considered one of the most sought-after figures within the church, according to the Independent report.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi: He is said to be one of the closest to Pope Francis and has been on several global trips since he was made a Cardinal in 2019. He met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky during a peace mission and went to the US to meet then-president Joe Biden. Zuppi has been on the positive side of the LGBTQ community.

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke: Burke has publicly had clashes with Pope Francis over issues like divorce and remarriage. He has termed the church’s views around artificial contraception, civil marriages and gay people “objectionable", reported the Independent.

ELECTION OF A NEW POPE

In the event of a pope’s death, nearly three weeks later, in a highly secretive process of electing a new pope, the College of Cardinals will convene in the Sistine Chapel to hold a conclave, as in tradition for the past 700 years.

It is worth noting that the candidates for the pope do not openly campaign for the position. Rather, Vatican watchers generally have deemed cardinals capable of holding the position of a pope.

Following the death of a pope, or in rare cases of resignation, such as with Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican convenes a papal conclave, in which the College of Cardinals come together to elect the Church’s next head.

The rules of the conclave, as of 22 January 2025, stated that there are 138 electors of the 252 cardinals. Only those under the age of 80 may take part in the secret ballot in the Sistine Chapel.

On the day of voting, the Sistine Chapel, with its famed ceiling painted by Michelangelo, is physically sealed off and the cardinals, who have taken an oath of secrecy, are locked inside.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to cast ballots. Around 120 will vote in secret for their chosen candidate, writing their name on a ballot and placing it in a chalice atop the altar.

If no candidate receives the required two-thirds majority, another round of voting takes place. There can be up to four rounds per day.

Once ballots are counted, they are burned on a stove inside the Sistine Chapel, installed ahead of time by Vatican firefighters.

A second stove burns a chemical sending up a smoke signal through a chimney to the outside world: Black smoke means a new pope has not been selected, white smoke means one has.

CHOOSING A NEW POPE

Once a pope is chosen, a representative from the College of Cardinals reads out the Latin announcement Habemus papam, meaning “We have a pope", from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking thousands of people.

Then the freshly elected pope, having chosen a papal name (most likely one honouring a saint or predecessor) and donned a white cassock, steps out onto the balcony to give his first address to the public.

The new pope, along with setting the church’s teachings and morals, wields significant diplomatic and political power in world politics, acting as a mediator in global conflicts and guiding humanitarian efforts.

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