The six cardinal contenders: Will the next Pope be the first black pontiff in centuries?
The first pope from Africa in modern times and a possible first Asian pontiff are among the candidates who could succeed Pope Francis. Here are the six contenders.
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Here are the cardinal contenders for the position of the new Pope.
Name: Luis Tagle
Age: 67
Location: The Philippines
Bio: Tagle initially planned to become a doctor, and has said he enrolled in seminary based on a “trick” by a young priest who told him he was in fact applying for a scholarship – a joke which he said awoke him to other options presented to him by God.
Often referred to by his nickname, ‘Chito’, the cardinal was sent to the United States in 1987 to study theology. Returning to The Philippines in 1998, Tagle became archbishop of Manila in 2011 and was elevated to cardinal in 2020.
Tagle has gained a wide profile for his evangelisation through the internet. Since the 2000s he has presented video broadcasts of his sermons which are widely viewed on television and social media.
Likelihood: Widely dubbed the “Asian Francis” due to his commitment to humility and close collaboration with the late pontiff, Tagle is a likely candidate for cardinals looking for continuity of Francis’ pontificate and a charismatic pope with strong media skills.
Tagle is relatively progressive on issues of homosexuality and divorce, though his outspoken political views and allegiance to Pope Francis may mobilise more conservative cardinals against him.
Name: Matteo Zuppi
Age: 69
Location: Italy
Bio: A key player in Vatican diplomacy, Matteo Zuppi was born into a family closely entwined with Church politics. Zuppi’s maternal great uncle was also a cardinal, holding the position of Dean of the College of Cardinals, and his father was a Vatican journalist.
As a high school student, he joined a Catholic organisation helping disadvantaged people across the world including the homeless, elderly and disabled. Zuppi went on to study literature, philosophy and theology before being ordained in 1981.
Zuppi has carried out high-profile political missions for the papacy in Mozambique, Turkey and the United States. Since 2023, Zuppi has worked as a papal envoy for peace in Ukraine, meeting with global leaders in Washington, Moscow, Kyiv and Beijing.
Likelihood: Zuppi’s work in social activism and extensive diplomacy have increased his profile as a skilled negotiator, particularly through promoting peace in Ukraine.
He may, however, appear too left-wing to court votes in a conclave. Zuppi has been associated with Italy’s political left and has expressed a desire for further dialogue on abortion, surrogacy and same-sex parenthood.
Name: Pietro Parolin
Age: 70
Location: Vatican City
Bio: Italian-born Parolin joined the seminary aged 14, just four years after his father’s death in a car accident. He was ordained at age 25, earned a degree in law of the Catholic Church and entered the Vatican’s diplomatic service six years into his priesthood.
Working diplomatically for the Holy See in Nigeria, Mexico, Vietnam and Venezuela, Parolin also helped establish the Vatican’s contact with China and North Korea.
As the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Parolin has been Pope Francis’ second-in-command since 2013.
Likelihood: Parolin is widely considered a centrist candidate able to court votes from progressives and conservatives alike, though his perception as a career diplomat and clear papal frontrunner may work against him.
His diplomatic work has seen Parolin advocate for nuclear non-proliferation and environmental causes, though he has spoken against blessing same-sex couples and can be viewed as carrying forward a more moderate version of Francis’ progressivism.
As a result of Pope Francis appointing an unprecedented proportion of cardinals in the global south, it may be that these cardinals look towards Parolin’s high position in Church hierarchy and name recognition come the conclave.
Name: Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Age: 59, turning 60 on April 29
Location: Jerusalem
Bio: Cardinal Pizzaballa first entered seminary in Italy at age 11 and was ordained to the priesthood at 25. He was sent by the Church to study in Jerusalem, where he learned Hebrew and English.
Pizzaballa has spent decades working towards peace in the region. In 2014, he helped Pope Francis organise a prayer for peace between Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and then-Israeli president Shimon Peres.
In the weeks after the October 7 attack he condemned both Hamas’ offensive and the continued bombing of Gaza by Israel as part of “a new cycle of violence”.
Likelihood: Pizzaballa’s high-profile advocacy in Jerusalem has earned him international recognition and a humanitarian reputation, particularly after offering himself in exchange for child hostages taken by Hamas.
As the College of Cardinals is understood to be broadly uncomfortable with Francis’ outspoken position on Gaza, a view of Pizzaballa as being too political is likely to work against him.
With increasing medical advances, cardinals may also be reluctant to elect a pope who is just 59 years old and may hold the position for a few decades.
Name: Peter Turkson
Age: 76
Location: Ghana
Bio: One of ten children, Turkson was born to a Catholic father who was a carpenter, while his mother sold vegetables and was a convert from Protestantism.
Entering seminary aged 14, after nine years Turkson went to New York where he studied theology and worked cleaning a bank. Turkson returned to Ghana to be ordained, where he spent a short time teaching in a seminary before heading to Rome for further studies.
His doctorate was interrupted when Pope John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Ghana’s Cape Coast. He was promoted to cardinal at the markedly young age of 55, and in 2009 was appointed to a pontifical council by Pope Benedict XVI.
Likelihood: Turkson may be favoured by liberal cardinals seeking a pontiff with both pastoral experience in a diocese and Vatican leadership credentials.
The cardinal has broadly aligned himself with the views of Francis’ pontificate, working on climate measures and speaking against a Ghanaian bill imposing jail terms on those who identify as gay.
Turkson has been widely touted as a potential pope since 2013, and his election would signal the Church’s recognition of a growing Catholic population in Africa.
Name: Péter Erdő
Age: 72
Location: Hungary
Bio: Péter Erdő was born behind the Iron Curtain to a family that suffered religious repression under communism, being barred from employment due to their Catholicism.
Ordained aged 23, Erdő served his parish for a brief period before studying in Rome. He went on to teach Church law in Hungary and Argentina, and worked as a research fellow in California.
After being made a cardinal at age 51, he was since appointed a member of the Secretariat of State and oversees the diplomacy of the Holy See from one of the highest offices in the Vatican.
Likelihood: Erdő has opposed recognising second marriages or same-sex unions, and may be a strong candidate if a conservative swing emerges in response to the progressivism of Francis’ pontificate and the cardinals look for someone with Vatican experience.
Erdő has strong ties with African cardinals and Orthodox Christians, indicating his skills as a consensus-builder across regions and potentially providing him a strong voter base.
Originally published as The six cardinal contenders: Will the next Pope be the first black pontiff in centuries?
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