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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pope Francis who is currently ill due to pneumonia, remains in critical condition as per Vatican. The 88-year-old Pope is suffering from pneumonia in both of his lungs, and is battling the infection.
If Pope Francis were to pass away, technically, any Roman Catholic man can be chosen to succeed Saint Peter. However, one of the 253 cardinals from around the world will usually be elected as the pope to lead the Catholic community worldwide.
Here are the front-runners to become the next pope as compiled by New York Post.
1. Cardinal Pietro Parolin
The Vatican's Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, has served in the Vatican for 11 years. He is the most nominated to succeed Pope Francis.
Parolin is considered politically moderate. He has spent his career participating in the Vatican's diplomatic wing, having spent part of his career in the Nigerian Nunciature and the Mexican Nunciature, and was appointed as cardinal in 2014 by Pope Francis. Parolin would be seen as an extension of Francis' legacy.
2. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu
The President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, Fridolin Ambongo Besungu made headlines when he rejected Pope Francis' controversial declaration. The conservative Capuchin opposed the Fiducia supplicans doctrine, which allows priests to bless unmarried couples and same-sex couples, null and void in Africa.
Besungu received the Pope's blessing in an emergency meeting in 2023 shortly after the doctrine was released, as reported by the Catholic Herald. Besungu's papacy would be seen as a strong rebuke of Francis' left-leaning principles. The current pope appointed Besungu as cardinal in 2019.
3. Cardinal Wim Eijk
Willem Jacobus Eijk, a former medical doctor, is regarded as one of the most conservative front-runner candidates.
In 2015, Eijk helped write "Eleven Cardinals Speak on Marriage and Family: Essays from a Pastoral Viewpoint." The article forcefully opposed Pope Francis' support for civilly remarried spouses if they did not receive an annulment of their first marriage. Eijk wrote that it was a form of structured and institutionalized adultery.
Eijk also criticized the current Pope's inability to combat the German Bishops' Conference proposal to allow Protestant spouses to receive the Eucharist in Catholic churches. In an op-ed, Eijk described the Pope's decision on the matter as incomprehensible. Eijk was appointed cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
4. Cardinal Peter Erdo
Peter Erdo of Hungary has long been a prominent figure in contemporary church politics. As a conservative, Erdo previously opposed the practice of divorced and remarried Catholics receiving Holy Communion.
Erdo also vocally opposed European countries accepting refugees, stating that it is the same as human trafficking. Erdo was appointed cardinal in 2003 by Pope John Paul II.
5. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
Luis Antonio Tagle hails from the Philippines. He serves as the Vice Prefect for the First Section of the Vatican's Secretariat for Evangelization and as the President of the Inter-Religious Commission for Religious who have professed.
Tagle is dubbed the 'Asian Pope Francis'. He is deemed left-leaning and critical of the church's treatment of the LGBT community and divorced and remarried Catholics. In an interview in 2015, he stated that the church's harsh stand on gay people, divorced women, and single mothers has damaged its goal of spreading the Gospel.
Tagle is the seventh Filipino to be appointed cardinal and would be the first pope from the continent of Asia if elected. He was appointed cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
6. Cardinal Raymond Burke
Raymond Burke is considered a prominent conservative figure in the church. He is a proponent of the Latin Mass and has often criticized the liberal Pope Francis.
The Wisconsin native and former Archbishop of St. Louis has opposed Pope Francis' willingness to allow divorced and remarried couples to receive the Eucharist. Burke also opposed the Church's new language surrounding artificial contraception, gay people, and civil marriage, deeming it unacceptable.
Burke was appointed cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
7. Cardinal Mario Grech
The current Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Mario Grech, is considered a moderate successor to Pope Francis.
Previously, he has spoken about the need to reach out to those marginalized from the Church because of their sexuality or marital status. In his 2014 speech at the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Grech highlighted the need for the Church to maintain continuity of teaching while allowing space for creativity in speaking to the people.
Grech was appointed cardinal in 2020 by Pope Francis.
8. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi
The President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Matteo Zuppi, was born in Rome and held a prominent position as the Archbishop of Bologna, Italy. This positions him as an insider in the Vatican under Francis' leadership.
As a close confidant of Francis, Zuppi was requested in 2023 to undertake an important peace mission in Ukraine and he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. He was appointed cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019.
Editor's choice: Vatican Says Pope Francis is in Critical Condition
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