In the wake of Pope Francis’ passing, many are wondering who will be chosen to head the Catholic Church next. Here’s a list of some of the most likely candidates.

From Breitbart. In the wake of Pope Francis’ passing on Easter Monday, the Catholic Church will begin the process of selecting the next Bishop of Rome, thereby setting the future course of the Church and its 1.3 billion followers.

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Who is praying on the wall?

Within 15 to 20 days of the death of the Pope, a conclave of the College of Cardinals will be convened within the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, where they will hold a secret ballot vote to elect the next Pontifex Maximus of the Church.

During his 12 years at the helm of the Church, Pope Francis placed a heavy focus on social justice issues, such as tolerance towards the so-called LGBTQ community, climate change, and mass migration, in what some regarded as a split from Church doctrine.

Francis also had a significant impact on the makeup of the College of Cardinals, having selected approximately 80 per cent of the cardinals who will be eligible to vote for the next Pope. …

With that in mind, here is a look at some of the leading candidates:

Cardinal Luis Tagle, Philippines

Currently standing as one of the favourites among oddsmakers, 67-year-old Tagle would perhaps best represent a continuity papacy, having been described as the “Asian Pope Francis”. If elected, the Filipino Cardinal would become the first Pope chosen from Asia after Francis became the first Pope from South America.

Cardinal Tagle, who reportedly prefers to be referred to by his nickname of “Chito” rather than by his clerical title, has argued against the Church taking a “judgmental” stance and has been critical of those who have used “harsh” words about homosexuals or divorced people. …

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Italy

Cardinal Parolin, 70, also had close ties to Francis, having served as his Secretary of State since 2013. He has international experience, having spent three decades in the Holy See diplomatic service. Parolin has expressed a conservative perspective on some social issues …

However, he has come under criticism for backing a controversial deal with Communist China on episcopal appointments. …

Péter Erdő, Hungary

The 72-year-old Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest represents one of the more conservative potential candidates. A canon law scholar, Erdő has differed with Pope Francis on areas such as divorce, arguing that the Church cannot change its position towards people who divorce and remarry …

The Hungarian Cardinal also broke with Pope Francis on the issue of mass migration, arguing at the outset of the European Migrant Crisis in 2015 that for Western nations to adopt an open borders approach would be akin to permitting human trafficking. …

Robert Sarah, Guinea

Another prominent conservative candidate, Cardinal Sarah, could become the first Pope to hail from Africa since the fifth century and the first to come from Sub-Saharan Africa. The 79-year-old has been one of the most outspoken cardinals in the Vatican on conservative issues, often offering contrary positions to those of Pope Francis.

For example, in 2019, Sarah argued that it was wrong to attempt to “use the word of God to promote migration”. …

The African cardinal has also claimed that far-left Western gender ideologies and the Islamist vision of groups like ISIS are “almost like two apocalyptic beasts” that must be confronted today …

Peter Turkson, Ghana

Another potential first Sub-Saharan Pope, 76-year-old Cardinal Peter Turkson, would likely serve as a more liberal Pontiff than Cardinal Sarah, championing such issues as climate change and poverty.

Formerly the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Turkson recently sparked controversy in his native Ghana after coming out against legislation to criminalise homosexuality …

While Turkson said that he was against criminalising homosexuality, he did say that same sex relationships are “objectively sinful” in the eyes of the Church. …

Matteo Zuppi, Italy

The 69-year-old Zuppi is also widely regarded as a member of the progressive wing of the Church and would likely represent a continuity papacy in line with the legacy of Pope Francis.

Having previously been an advocate of building “bridges” between the Catholic Church and the LGBT community, Zuppi faced criticism after it was alleged that he was aware that clergy at his Archdiocese of Bologna were planning to bless a same sex union in 2022. …

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(Excerpt from Breitbart. Photo Credit: