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AS THE CONCLAVE PREPARES TO FORM AND BEGIN THE PROCCESS OF ELECTING THE NEW POPE, WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE FIGURES IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WHO COULD FIND THEMSELVES IN STRONG POSITIONS FOR
TAKING OVER AS PONTIFF 15:38, 21 Apr 2025Updated 09:13, 23 Apr 2025 There are a number of key candidates for who could become the next Pope, following the death of Pope Francis. The
Argentinian had been the head of the Catholic Church since 2012 but passed away today aged 88. Now begins the process of selecting a new pontiff. Soon, the College of Cardinals will travel
to Rome to form the conclave at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. While there are some 220 cardinals from 70 different countries, only around 120 are cardinal electors as those over the age 80
are excluded. Two thirds of the 120 were chosen by Francis in the last 10 years, meaning there is a likley to be a continuation of legacy. Article continues below It is expected that the
cardinals will be assembled within a month, probably closer to a fortnight and a half, and when they do, will go about the business of selecting the new pontiff. The process is secretive and
kept firmly under wraps, no outside contact is allowed and phones are handed in, but already there are a number of front runners leading the pack. CARDINAL PETER KODWO APPIAH TURKSON The
Ghanaian 76-year-old served as the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 2009 to 2017 and before that was the Archbishop of Cape Coast from 1992 to 2009. In Catholic
weekly review The Tablet, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson was described as one of Africa's most energetic church leaders". CARDINAL MATTEO MARIA ZUPPI Described by the College
of Cardinals Report as a “rapidly rising star in the Italian episcopate,” he sits on the left wing of the field. From Rome the 69-year-old has been the The Archbishop of Bologna since 12
December 2015. CARDINAL JOSE TOLENTINO MENDONCA At 59, he’s one of the younger candidates on the list, and also a poet from Madeira in Portugal, the same island Cristiano Ronaldo is from.
Again, he fits into the progressive wing of the church and much of his poetry is said to be particularly popular in secular circles. CARDINAL ROBERT SARAH From Guinea, he served as as
prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2014 to 2021. He is a traditionalist and conservative, and is seen by many as, depending on your
point of view, a protector traditional Catholic teaching. He called ISIS and gender ideology the "two radicalizations" that put family life at risk. CARDINAL MARIO GRECH From
Malta, the 68-year-old is a former Bishop of Gozo is the Vatican secretariat responsible for running Vatican synods. He has been involved in a number of controversial incidents, often
involving politics. CARDINAL PETER ERDO Primate of the Hungarian Catholic Church and Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, he is the oldest of six children. He was born under Communist rule
despite his Catholic family leading him to later say that faith was “woven into the fabric of our life”. He was ordained as a priest in 1975 and in 1995 and 1996 was a teaching fellow at the
University of California, Berkeley. He speaks German, Italian, French, Spanish, English, and his native Hungarian. PIETRO PAROLIN, CARDINAL SECRETARY OF STATE At 70-years-old, he has served
as the Vatican's Secretary of State since 2013. He has also held positions as Cardinal-Bishop of Santi Simone e Giuda Taddeo a Torre Angela and Member of the Council of Cardinal
Advisers. CARDINAL LUIS ANTONIO GOKIM TAGLE Currently serving as the Pro-Prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization, he was born in the Philippines.
Article continues below He has also served as the President of Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious since December 8, 2019. He is said to prefer to be referred to as "
Chito " rather than his clerical name. He is focussed on helping the poor while opposing abortion.