Following the de@th of Pope Francis at the age of 88, the world is now waiting to see who will succeed him, as the Cardinals gather in Rome for the Papal Conclave.
A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a bishop of Rome, also known as the pope
The conclave, which will last for 15-20 days after the pope’s death, will begin with a celebration of mass, after which deliberations and voting begins. Votes are taken each day, morning and afternoon, until a candidate wins a two-thirds majority. There is a day’s break for prayer and reflection after every seven ballots. If there is no conclusive result after 30 ballots, a candidate will be elected on a simple majority
Here are the top contenders to become the next Supreme Pontiff, according to Mail Online.
Peter Turkson, 76
The former Bishop of the Cape Coast, would be the first black Pope and would have the appeal of reaching out to Africa. Born in Ghana, he was sent by Pope Francis as a peace envoy to South Sudan. He occupies the middle ground on the tricky subject of gay relationships, arguing that laws in many African countries are too harsh but that the views of Africans on the subject must be respected. Turkson was the bookies' favourite at one point during the 2013 conclave, when Francis was chosen
Luis Antonio Tagle, 67
Tagle, the former Archbishop of Manila, has emerged as the frontrunner in the betting markets. He would have the appeal of being the first Asian Pope, the region with the fastest-growing Catholic population. He has opposed abortion rights in the Philippines but would be considered one of the more liberal candidates. He has complained that the Catholic church has been too harsh towards gay and divorced couples, and that this has hampered its evangelical work
Pietro Parolin, 70
He is the closest to a 'continuity candidate', having worked with Pope Francis as Cardinal Secretary of State. He is seen as a moderate, though not as close to the liberal wing as Francis has sometimes appeared to be. When Ireland voted in 2015 to legalise same sex marriage, Parolin described it as 'a defeat for humanity'. In recent times, Parolin's star has fallen a little thanks to his being the architect of the 2018 agreement between the Holy See and China, which some regard as a sell-out to the Chinese Communist Party
Peter Erdo, 72
The Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest would be the second Pope, after John Paul II, to have administered in the former Soviet bloc, when church leaders were often persecuted. He campaigned for his predecessor Jozsef Minszenty to be exonerated after being arrested for opposing Hungary's communist regime. Erdo is a deep conservative who has spoken against divorced or remarried Catholics receiving holy
Jose Tolentino, 59
He has served as an Archbishop as well as held down a number of Vatican roles. As the – relative – youth candidate, he has advocated that biblical scholars engage with the modern world by watching films and listening to music
