Pope Francis' Death: Who Will Be the Next Pope?

Pope Francis has passed away at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta. Just the day before his death on Easter Monday, Pope Francis greeted a crowd of over 35,000 people from his popemobile in St.Peter's Square. Pope Francis is the first Latin American to lead the Roman Catholic Church and was battling complications from pneumonia.

Millions of people around the world mourn over Pope Francis' demise as they await the announcement of his successor. However, the selection of the next pope is not that simple. Even though there are multiple cardinals who are in line, there is a secret vote that takes place before choosing the next pope.

How will the new pope be chosen?

The selection of the new Pope begins with a papal conclave, a closed-door voting process held in the Sistine Chapel. Only cardinals who are under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. Out of the 252 cardinals, around 138 are eligible electors as of January 2025.

The conclave typically begins 15 to 20 days after the Pope's death, allowing enough time for mourning and preparations. Four rounds of secret ballots are conducted each day during the conclave. The voting continues until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority.

We burn the ballots after each vote. No Pope will be elected if the ballot emits black smoke. If it emits white smoke, it means that a new pope has been elected (one of them has gotten a two-thirds majority). The new pope will be announced to the world with the words "Habemus Papum," which means "We have a new pope."

Who are the likely cardinals who can take over as the next Pope?

Cardinal Peter Turkson: If elected, Turkson will be the first Black Pope. The 76-year-old was the most favored by the betting agencies to be elected as the next Pope in the 2013 conclave when Pope Francis was chosen. Born in Ghana, Turkson has a neutral stance on gay relationships. He was also sent to South Sudan by Pope Francis as a peace envoy.

Other likely candidates include Cardinal Peter Erdo, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, and Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke.