Pope Francis passed away Monday morning, and the Vatican announced a few days after being discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment for a complicated respiratory infection. He was 88 years old.
His death 12 years after he was declared to the Pope, prompted new questions about whether to take over him as the leader of the Catholic Church, one of the oldest and largest religious institutions with up to 13.9 billion followers.
What you need to know about what comes after Pope Francis is that its ideals of social justice and global vision have changed the church.
Who will be the next Pope?
The successor has not been chosen yet.
The Cardinal of College, made up of senior Catholic priests, many appointed by Francis himself, elect the next Pope. To qualify, the candidate must be baptized male Roman Catholic, but for centuries Cardinals have chosen someone from rank.
Currently, there are over 240 cardiacs all over the world. They usually hold the title of life.
How is the new Pope chosen?
Cardinals under the age of 80, who die or resign from the Pope, vote for what is known as the Pope Conclave. To prevent external influence, Conclave is trapped in the Sistine Chapel and deliberated on potential successors.
Normally, the number of Pope electors closes with 120, but there are currently 138 eligible voters. Its members voted in secret ballots, a process overseen by nine randomly selected Cardinals. A two-thirds majority is traditionally required to elect a new Pope, and votes continue until this threshold is met.
After each round, the vote is burned with chemicals, producing black or white smoke, signaling the world about the outcome. Black smoke indicates that no decision has been made, while white smoke means that a new Pope has been elected. Once the Pope is elected, the top cardinal announces his name from St. Peter’s Cathedral.
When will the Pope Conclave begin?
It usually happens two or three weeks after the death or resignation of the sitting Pope. This allows for nine days of mourning, allowing the Cardinals to head to the Vatican from all over the world.
2013 began just 12 days after the resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, as he elected Pope Francis, South America’s first pope.
How long does it take to elect a new Pope?
Depending on the cardinal division, this process can take days, weeks, and even more time.
Every day, the Conclave can hold up to four rounds of votes to try to achieve the required two-thirds majority. After 33 rounds, if there is no decision yet, the top two candidates will face off on a leaked vote.
The elections for the last three popes were relatively quick, each lasting only a few days.
Historically, however, elections have been dragged by much longer at times, and Pope Conclave took nearly three years to get into the fierce political battles, with the election of Pope Gregory X in 1271.
Who is the top candidate for becoming the next pope?
Of the 138 cardinals eligible to vote in the Conclave, a total of 110 have been appointed by Pope Francis. This group is particularly diverse than previous electors, with a higher representation from Asia, Africa and Latin America, reflecting Francis’ goal of reflecting the global reach of the Church. The youngest elector is only 45 years old and is an Australia-based Ukrainian clergy.
As a result, only in centuries can the next pope come from Africa, Asia, or another region traditionally underrepresented by church leaders.
Among the African cardinals being debated is Peter Turkson of Ghana, Democratic Republic of Fridrin Ambongo, former director of the Clergy Council for Justice and Peace and Archbishop of Kinshasa. Both were dedicated conservatives who were defenders of voices for peace in their respective countries.
Another strong competitor is the former archbishop of Manila, Cardinal of the Philippines. Like Pope Francis, Tagle emphasizes social justice and care for the poor.
Hungarian Cardinal Peter Eld is considered a major conservative candidate and could serve as a bridge to Eastern Christians. Erd’s Archbishop of Esthergom Budapest is a traditionalist who emphasized the “desperate need” for unity among the churches and defended outreach to orthodox Christians.
Also in the mix is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State for Saint Sea.
Other possible candidates include Matteo Zuppi of Italy, the archbishop of Bologna, and Mario Greci, executive director of the Bishops’ Conference.
What happens to the Vatican during the transition?
Kamerlengo is now Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who serves as president of the Vatican Supreme Court.
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