Why won’t the Catholic Church allow a woman pope?

Women make up over half of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics – can they be Pope? (Picture: X)

The selection process for a new Pope will begin in days, and the top contenders all have one thing in common – they’re male.

Though any Catholic man can technically become the next Pope, more than half of the world’s estimated 1.3 billion Catholics are women, but aren’t even in the running for the Papal position.

The reason why women can’t become the Pope can be traced back to a simple reason: women can’t become priests.

The man who becomes Pope must be a baptised Catholic, and a bishop, priest, cardinal, deacon or layman.

Catholics believe only men can be priests based on tradition. The most common citation is that Jesus Christ called 12 apostles – all men – to spread His word.

Despite this, women can still be nuns, altar servers, lectors and hold other leadership positions in the Catholic Church – just not the priesthood.

Women can serve as nuns in the Catholic Church, but not as priests (Picture: Getty)

Has a woman ever been the Pope?

No.

However, there has been a legend of a woman who briefly served as Pope during the Middle Ages.

Widely considered to be a myth, the story of Joan, the alleged female pope who ruled for just a few years between 855 and 858 gained traction in 13th-century Europe.

It had been rumoured she used the name ‘John VIII’, but the story has since been proven to be false.

Who could replace Pope Francis?

Pope Francis has had an outpouring of love after his death (Picture: Reuters)

To replace Pope Francis, nine men have been named as top contenders, hailing from various backgrounds, politics and countries.

They include 70-year-old Cardinal Pietro Parolin from Italy, who has been Pope Francis’ secretary of state and has been described as the favourite to succeed him, according to The Week.

67-year-old Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines, who is among the younger candidates, is said to be charismatic and able to handle the media.

Cardinal Peter Turkson, 76, from Ghana, is said to be multilingual and charming.

Cardinal Peter Erdő, from Hungary, would bring a more conservative stance than Pope Francis, it is understood.

Metro has outlined each of the top contenders to replace Pope Francis, their values and backgrounds.

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