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After the death of Pope Francis was announced on Easter Monday, the race is on for the selection of the next leader of the Catholic Church.
Today, a historic moment unfolded in the Vatican City today as an estimated 1.4 billion Catholics bid farewell to Pope Francis during his final journey.
The pontiff was still recovering from an aggressive bout of pneumonia in both lungs and kidney failure and he only said a few words to the crowds on St Peter’s Square.
His coffin was driven around the Vatican and Rome for his ‘final goodbye’ as crowds gathered in their thousands to catch a final glimpse of the pontiff.
Priests gave communion to official attendees of the funeral before the mass concluded, and Pope Francis’s body was transported to St Mary Maggiore in Rome for burial.
Now, the burning question is who will be the next Pope.
Here are the top frontrunners who could become the next Holy Father.
You can read more about how the conclave works here.
Nine men – as the candidates can only be men according to the church’s rules and women are barred from becoming priests in the Catholic Church – have been named, hailing from various backgrounds, politics and countries.
And none of them are particularly young, with the average age of the candidates being around 69.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
The 70-year-old from Italy has been Pope Francis’ secretary of state and has been described as the favourite to succeed him, according to The Week.
Parolin, considered a moderate, has an impressive diplomatic background, including his work on the US-Cuba thaw, which he helped to broker in 2014.
He has said that supplying Ukraine with weapons to defend itself against ‘aggression’ is morally legitimate.
He became the youngest Secretary of State since 1929 when he was appointed to the role by Pope Francis.
Parolin’s odds are currently 6/4 with a 40% chance becoming the next pope, according to betting outlets.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
The 67-year-old from the Philippines, who is among the younger candidates, is said to be charismatic and able to handle the media.
If he is elected, Tagle would be the first Asian Pope. He is also said to have left-leaning politics.
Tagle is said to have 13/5 odds of succeeding the papal seat, suggesting a 28% probability.
Cardinal Peter Turkson
Cardinal Peter Turkson, 76, from Ghana, is said to be multilingual and charming.
However, due to his ‘relatively liberal views on homosexuality, ecology and social justice’ he might not be the favourite of the more conservative cardinals whom he has to woo, The Week reported.
What is a conclave and how does it work?
On the death of the pope, the chair of St Peter is declared vacant – sede vacante in Latin.
The papal funeral will be celebrated within four to six days, followed by nine days of mourning and special Masses.
During that time, cardinals from all over the world who have travelled into Rome gather for a series of meetings known as ‘general congregations’.
While all cardinals can participate in these discussions, only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote for the new pope in the Sistine Chapel.
Once the oath of secrecy is taken, the master of liturgical ceremonies gives the order ‘Extra omnes’ (everyone out) and all those not taking part in the conclave leave the frescoed walls of the chapel.
An elderly cardinal remains and reads a meditation about the qualities a pope should have and the challenges facing the church, after which he and the master of ceremonies leave the cardinals to begin voting.
On the first day, the cardinals participate in an opening Mass and an initial vote takes place in the evening, often taken as a symbolic poll in which voters name someone they have particular admiration for.
From then on, there are two sessions every day – one in the morning and another in the afternoon – each comprising two votes.
The cardinals are instructed to mask their own handwriting while completing a card inscribed ‘Eligo in Summum Pontificem’ – ‘I elect as Supreme Pontiff’.
They approach the altar one by one and say: ‘I call as my witness, Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected.’
The folded ballot is placed on a round plate and slid into an oval urn.
After the votes are counted and the outcomes announced, the papers are bound together with a needle and thread, each ballot pierced through the word ‘Eligo’.
Then they are burned with a chemical to send black smoke (meaning no new pope) or white (meaning yes, a pope has been chosen) out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney.
Cardinal Péter Erdő
Erdő, from Hungary, would bring a more conservative stance than Pope Francis, it is understood.
The 72-year-old grew up under Communist rule and his family escaped an attack on their home, which is likely to have shaped his worldview and politics.
He is still considered the consensus choice, the US Catholic reported.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok
The Ukrainian cardinal is the youngest of the bunch competing for the top job at 45.
He became a cardinal in Australia last year and he has been speaking about the plight of Ukrainians due to the Russian invasion.
Despite his relatively young age, he might well become the next pontiff if the conclave so chooses.
Cardinal Angelo Scola
Another Italian, the 83-year-old is a long-standing contender, who was already a frontrunner in the previous, 2013 papal race won by Pope Francis.
Cardinal Scola is said to support ties between Catholicism and Islam at the grassroots level. He believes the two religions have a lot in common.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu
The Congolese cardinal is also at the younger end of the candidates at the age of 65.
He has very different views than Pope Francis, it is understood.
He declared previously that the Vatican’s declaration of same-sex blessings cannot be carried out in Africa and he labelled it ‘a kind of Western imperialism.’
Cardinal Raymond Burke
Burke, an American, hails from Wisconsin.
The 76-year-old is thought to have been Pope Francis’s passionate critic.
If he becomes the next Pope, which he apparently has a good chance for, he would bring a traditional voice.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi
The 69-year-old Archbishop of Bologna is thought to have been one of Pope Francis’ favourites.
He has been the president of the Bishops’ Conference and has gotten into hot water with the Church conservatives over his more open and accepting approach to the LGBTQ+ community.
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