23 cardinals mentioned
The papabili
Leo XIV was elected in May 2025; his succession is not on the agenda. Here, nonetheless, are the cardinals most often mentioned by observers, to be reread as the next conclave approaches.
A "papabile" is a cardinal considered to have a good chance of being elected pope in an upcoming conclave. This page presents an analysis of the main potential candidates classified by ideological tendency.
Traditionalist Cardinals
These cardinals are firmly attached to Catholic Tradition and strongly oppose recent reforms, particularly the restriction of the Tridentine Mass, secret agreements with China, communion for remarried divorcees, and blessings for same-sex couples.
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Non-elector · Leading papabile
Robert Sarah
Born on June 15, 1945, in Ourous, Guinea, Robert Sarah was ordained a priest in 1969. At 34, in 1979, he became the Archbishop of Conakry, the youngest Catholic bishop at the time. He held this position until 2001, during which he resisted the Marxist regime of Sékou Touré, defending religious freedom and the autonomy of the Church. (Cardinal Robert Sarah: A Leading Contender for the Pope Office, Pope Francis accepts Cardinal Robert Sarah's resignation from ...)
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Conservative Cardinals
These cardinals are aligned with the Ratzingerian line and are more conservative from a theological, moral, and pastoral point of view, while accepting the Second Vatican Council and its reforms.
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Elector · Leading papabile
Gerhard Ludwig Müller
Born on December 31, 1947, in Finthen, near Mainz (Germany), Gerhard Ludwig Müller was ordained a priest in 1978. He earned a doctorate in theology under the direction of Cardinal Karl Lehmann, with a thesis on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In 1986, he became professor of dogmatic theology at Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. (Gerhard Ludwig Müller - Wikipedia, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Liberation Theology Interview with Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller)
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Elector · Leading papabile
Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet
Born on July 4, 1959, in Montevideo (Uruguay), Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet is the youngest of five siblings. Orphaned in adolescence, he was deeply influenced by Salesian spirituality, which he discovered at the John XXIII Institute in Montevideo. He entered the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians of Don Bosco) in 1979 and took his religious vows on January 31, 1980. (Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet)
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Non-elector
Mauro Piacenza
Born on September 15, 1944, in Genoa, Mauro Piacenza is one of the few European cardinals to combine a rigorous scientific training with solid theological expertise. He was ordained a priest in 1969 by Cardinal Giuseppe Siri. With a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University, he held various pastoral and academic ministries in his native diocese, including teaching dogmatic theology and the history of atheism. He also served as a judge in the ecclesiastical tribunal and as the diocesan assistant for the Ecclesial Movement for Cultural Commitment. (Mauro Piacenza, Mauro Piacenza)
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Elector · Leading papabile
Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don
Born on November 15, 1947, in Polgahawela, Sri Lanka, Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don is a prominent figure in the Asian Catholic Church. Ordained a priest in 1975, he pursued his studies in Rome, obtaining a license in biblical theology from the Pontifical Urban University. (24 Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Stock Photos, High-Res Pictures ...)
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Elector · Leading papabile
Willem Jacobus Eijk
Born on June 22, 1953, in Duivendrecht, Netherlands, Willem Jacobus Eijk is one of the few European cardinals to combine rigorous scientific training with solid theological expertise. Before entering the seminary, he studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam and briefly practiced as a physician. He then obtained a doctorate in medical bioethics from the University of Leiden, followed by a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
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Elector · Leading papabile
Péter Erdő
Born on June 25, 1952, in Budapest, Péter Erdő is a major figure in the Hungarian Catholic Church. Ordained a priest in 1975, he was appointed Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest in 2002 and created a cardinal by John Paul II in 2003. He has also been president of the Hungarian Episcopal Conference since 2005 and presided over the Council of European Episcopal Conferences from 2006 to 2016. (Péter Erdő)
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Elector · Leading papabile
Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Born on April 21, 1965, in Cologno al Serio, near Bergamo in Italy, Pierbattista Pizzaballa is a Franciscan who has dedicated most of his priestly life to the Holy Land. Ordained a priest in 1990 by Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, he joined the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land in 1999, where he held various positions, including superior of the Convent of Saints Simeon and Anne in Jerusalem. (Pierbattista Pizzaballa)
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Non-elector
Angelo Bagnasco
Born on January 14, 1943, in Pontevico, Italy, Angelo Bagnasco was ordained a priest on June 29, 1966, by Cardinal Giuseppe Siri. He obtained a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Genoa in 1979 and taught metaphysics and contemporary atheism at the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy until 1998. (Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco)
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Elector · Leading papabile
Charles Maung Bo
Born in 1948 in Monhla, Burma (Myanmar), Charles Maung Bo joined the Salesian Society of Don Bosco and was ordained a priest in 1976. He was appointed Bishop of Lashio in 1990, then Archbishop of Yangon in 2003. In 2015, he was created a cardinal by Pope Francis, thus becoming the first Burmese cardinal.
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Non-elector
Marc Ouellet
Marc Ouellet was born on June 8, 1944, in La Motte, Quebec. Ordained a priest in 1968, he joined the Society of Saint Sulpice in 1972. A theologian by training, he taught in various seminaries in Canada, Colombia, and Rome. In 2001, he was appointed secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, then Archbishop of Quebec in 2002. He was created a cardinal in 2003 by John Paul II.
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Elector · Leading papabile
Anders Arborelius
Born on September 24, 1949, in Sorengo, Switzerland, to Swedish parents, Anders Arborelius grew up in Lund, in southern Sweden. Coming from a non-practicing Lutheran family, he converted to Catholicism at the age of 20, after being influenced by the Bridgettine sisters and reading the autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Two years later, he entered the Discalced Carmelites at the monastery of Norraby. He made his perpetual vows in 1977 in Bruges and was ordained a priest in 1979 in Malmö.
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Moderate Cardinals
These cardinals occupy an intermediate position, very discreet in their assertions, but who are very likely sympathetic to the "Francis Party" while maintaining some more traditional positions.
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Elector · Leading papabile
Jean-Marc Aveline
Jean-Marc Aveline was born on December 26, 1958, in Sidi Bel Abbès, French Algeria. After independence, his family settled in Marseille, where he completed his schooling. He entered the Avignon interdiocesian seminary in 1977, then continued his studies at the Carmes seminary in Paris, obtaining a double degree in theology and philosophy, as well as a master's degree in theology. In 2000, he defended a doctoral thesis entitled For a Christological Theology of Religions.
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Elector · Leading papabile
Fridolin Ambongo Besungu
Fridolin Ambongo Besungu was born on January 24, 1960, in Boto, Democratic Republic of Congo. Ordained a priest in 1988 as a member of the Capuchin Order, he obtained a licentiate in moral theology at the Alphonsian Academy in Rome. He was appointed Bishop of Bokungu-Ikela in 2004 by John Paul II, then apostolic administrator of Kole in 2008. In 2016, he became Archbishop of Mbandaka-Bikoro, before being appointed coadjutor of Kinshasa in 2018, succeeding Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya. He was created cardinal by Pope Francis in October 2019. (Quién es Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, el papable que puede ser el primer papa africano en 16 siglos, Fridolin Ambongo Besungu)
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Non-elector
Fernando Filoni
Fernando Filoni was born on April 15, 1946, in Manduria, in the Puglia region of Italy. Ordained a priest in 1970, he joined the Holy See's diplomatic service in 1981. His diplomatic career led him to sensitive posts, notably in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war, in Brazil, the Philippines, and especially in Iraq, where he was apostolic nuncio from 2001 to 2006. He remained at his post even during the American invasion of 2003, earning him special recognition for his courage and pastoral commitment.
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Elector · Leading papabile
Claudio Gugerotti
Born on October 7, 1955, in Verona (Italy), Claudio Gugerotti was ordained a priest in 1982 for the Diocese of Verona. A member of the Pious Society of Don Nicola Mazza, he holds a degree in Oriental languages and literature from the University Ca' Foscari of Venice, a doctorate in Eastern ecclesiastical sciences from the Pontifical Oriental Institute, as well as a licentiate in sacred liturgy from the Pontifical Athenaeum Saint Anselm. (Brief biographies of 21 future Cardinals – FABC)
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Progressive Cardinals
These cardinals are favorable to Francis's reforms and wish to continue or deepen his orientation. They represent the most progressive wing of the papabili and are generally favorable to decentralization, greater inclusion, and adaptation of the Church to contemporary realities.
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Elector · Leading papabile
Kurt Koch
Kurt Koch was born on March 15, 1950, in Emmenbrücke, in the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. After studying theology at the University of Lucerne and at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, he obtained a licentiate in theology in 1975. He was ordained a priest on June 20, 1982, for the diocese of Basel. (Cardinal Kurt Koch - The College of Cardinals Report, Swiss Cardinal to Speak on Ecumenism | CUA, Kurt Koch)
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Elector · Leading papabile
Pietro Parolin
Born on January 17, 1955, in Schiavon, in the province of Vicenza (Italy), Pietro Parolin was ordained a priest in 1980. After a brief pastoral experience, he joined the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1983, thus beginning a diplomatic career within the Holy See. He served successively in the nunciatures in Nigeria, Mexico, and Venezuela, before joining the Secretariat of State in 2002.
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Elector · Leading papabile
Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson
Born on October 11, 1948, in Wassaw Nsuta, Ghana, Peter Turkson is the fourth of a family of ten children. From a modest background, he was ordained a priest in 1975 after studies in Ghana, the United States, and Rome, where he obtained a doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute.
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Elector · Leading papabile
Stephen Brislin
Stephen Brislin, born on September 24, 1956, in Welkom, South Africa, is an influential prelate of the South African Catholic Church. Of Scottish and Irish descent, he studied psychology at the University of Cape Town, philosophy at St. John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria, theology at Mill Hill Missionary Institute in London, and obtained a degree from the Catholic University of Louvain. Ordained a priest on November 19, 1983, for the diocese of Kroonstad, he was appointed bishop of the same diocese in 2006, then Archbishop of Cape Town in 2009. He held that position until October 2024, when he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Johannesburg. (Stephen Brislin)
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Elector · Leading papabile
Luis Antonio Tagle
Born on June 21, 1957, in Manila, Philippines, Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle is a major figure in the Asian Catholic Church. Ordained a priest in 1982, he was appointed Bishop of Imus in 2001, then Archbishop of Manila in 2011. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI created him cardinal.
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Elector
José Tolentino de Mendonça
Born on December 15, 1965, in Machico, on the island of Madeira, Portugal, José Tolentino de Mendonça was ordained a priest on July 28, 1990. With a doctorate in biblical theology, he distinguished himself through a notable academic and literary career, publishing works of poetry, essays, and theater. (José Tolentino de Mendonça)
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Elector · Leading papabile
Matteo Maria Zuppi
Born in Rome on October 11, 1955, Matteo Maria Zuppi is the fifth of six children from a family deeply rooted in the Catholic Church. His father was a journalist at L'Osservatore Romano and his mother was the niece of Cardinal Carlo Confalonieri, former Dean of the College of Cardinals. He was ordained a priest in 1981 after studies in theology at the Pontificia Università Lateranense and in literature at La Sapienza University in Rome.
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These analyses are based on the cardinals' known current positions. During an actual conclave, many unpredictable factors can influence the outcome, including alliances and strategies that form during the conclave itself.