World

Who could be the next pope?

Published

1 year ago

May 6, 2025

There is no formal candidate process for the College of Cardinals to pull from when selecting the next pope – meaning any Catholic male could potentially be chosen as the next leader of the Catholic Church.

For the last 3,400 years, the College of Cardinals – which is the holy body that elects each pope – has pulled from within its own ranks to choose each successor to the papacy, and it is widely believed it will do so again when the conclave meets on Wednesday.

Reports suggest that there is still no clue who will succeed Pope Francis, though there are a few men expected to be at the top of the 135-member electoral body.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, Italy
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, Philippines
Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, Hungary
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, Jerusalem
Cardinal José Tolentino Calaça de Mendonça, 59, Portugal
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, Democratic Republic of Congo
Cardinal Raymond Burke, 76, United States of America
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, Italy
Cardinal Anders Arborelius, 75, Sweden
Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, 66, France

In this photo from files taken on April 18, 2005 and released by the Vatican paper L’Osservatore Romano, Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave. (Osservatore Romano via AP)

PAPAL PULSE: EVERYDAY CATHOLICS REVEAL THEIR HOPES FOR THE NEXT POPE

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, Italy

Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, is the highest-ranking diplomat in the Holy See – which is the governing body of the Catholic Church – and is believed to be among the cardinals most likely to be elected to the top position.

His favor among cardinals in the Sacred College, who will vote on the next pope, is due to his politically moderate position and his career in diplomacy, reported The New York Post.

Parolin, who spent part of his career in Mexico and Nicaragua, was appointed by Pope Francis in 2014 and would likely be seen as an extension of the current papacy.

The Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, attends the blessing ceremony of the newly opened reception and integration center for Ukrainian refugees during the Bishops’ Conference of Slovakia in Kosice, Slovakia, on Sept. 15, 2023. (Robert Nemeti/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

WILL THE NEXT POPE BE FROM ASIA?

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, Philippines

Tagle is also believed to be a frontrunner among voting cardinals and serves as the pro-prefect for the section of first evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization, as well as president of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious.

He has been dubbed the “Asian Pope Francis” particularly for their similarities when it comes to their more embracing position of the LGBTQI community than their predecessors.

In a 2015 interview, Tagle said the Church’s “severe” position on the LGBTQI community, divorcees and single mothers was doing it harm.

According to the Catholic Herald, Tagle “would be hailed by liberals, given the changing demographic of the Church.”

Pope Francis greets Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle during a ceremonial welcome at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Sept. 4, 2024. (Tiziana FabiI/AFP via Getty Images)

US CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS SUES TRUMP OVER IMMIGRATION, REFUGEE FUNDING FREEZE

Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, Hungary

There are several conservative cardinals who are believed to be top contenders for the papacy, including Cardinal Peter Erdo, who has been critical of Francis’ position on divorce and immigration.

Erdo has argued that divorced or re-married Catholics should not be allowed to receive Holy Communion due to his position regarding the “indissolubility of marriage.”

The Catholic Herald pointed out that appointing a conservative pope following Francis’ tenure would “send a powerful message about the direction the Church would be taking.”

Erdo has also differed from Francis greatly on immigration and argued in 2015 that permitting refugees to resettle is tantamount to human trafficking.

Pope Francis greets the archbishop of Budapest, Cardinal Péter Erdő, after arriving in Budapest, Hungary, on April 28, 2023. (Vatican Media Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

FROM THE HOLY LAND TO THE HOLY SEE: CARDINAL PIZZABALLA EMERGES AS PAPAL CANDIDATE

Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, Jerusalem

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, offered himself up as a hostage in exchange for the release of the Israeli children brutally abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

Though Hamas did not accept the exchange, the offer garnered international attention and brought his name forward as a potential future leader of the Catholic Church.

Should the Italian cardinal be chosen for the papacy, it would be the first time in 50 years that an Italian headed the Catholic Church, which was previously long seen as under Italian control – though, given the decades he has spent in the Middle East he is also seen as a Vatican outsider.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa attends the 7th Novemdiales Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on May 02, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. Cardinals have agreed to begin the conclave on May 7th to elect the 267th Pope, following the conclusion of the Novemdiales Masses to pray for the eternal repose of the late Pope Francis. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Cardinal José Tolentino Calaça de Mendonça, 59, Portugal

The Cardinal, often referred to as one of his baptismal names Tolentino, was made prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education in 2022.

Tolentino is among the youngest of the men flagged as a potential successor to Pope Francis, which could hinder his chances of landing the papal seat.

He was also closely aligned with Francis on several issues which has garnered some controversy, particularly when it comes to the church’s position on same-sex relationships.

The Portuguese cardinal is also viewed as liberal leaning given his push for the church to engage with modern culture, including in his support of a feminist Benedictine sister who favors women’s ordination and is pro-choice.

Cardinal José Tolentino Calaça de Mendonça and American comedian Whoopi Goldberg in the Galleria Lapidaria of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, after the meeting with the Pope, on the occasion of the audience with comedians from all over the world, at the Apostolic Palace. (Photo by Stefano Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

VATICAN PREPARES FOR LARGEST CONCLAVE IN HISTORY TO ELECT NEW POPE

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, Democratic Republic of Congo

Another conservative cardinal thought to be a serious contender is Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu from the war-torn nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Membership of the Catholic Church in Africa is growing faster than anywhere else in the world, according to the Associated Press.

The 65-year-old Ambongo controversially rejected Pope Francis’ blessing of same-sex couples by the Catholic Church. In a letter signed by other African priests, they said they refused to follow the pontiff’s declaration because such unions are “contrary to the will of God.”

Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Cardinal Raymond Burke, 76, United States of America

The Wisconsin native and former archbishop of St. Louis is considered to be the leading American candidate. The 76-year-old cardinal is also viewed as being from the conservative side of the Church.

He is a proponent of the Latin Mass, and has been critical of Pope Francis regarding the Church’s new language around artificial contraception, LGBT issues and civil marriages. Burke was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke attends the Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals led by Pope Francis at the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Vatican. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

CHIMNEY INSTALLED ON SISTINE CHAPEL’S ROOF AHEAD OF CONCLAVE TO PICK POPE FRANCIS’ SUCCESSOR

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, Italy

Zuppi was born in Rome. He is the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference and is viewed as an insider in Francis’ Vatican, having served as the archbishop of Bologna.

The 69-year-old Zuppi is seen as being one of Pope Francis’ favorites. He was sent on a peace mission in 2023 to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was also sent to meet with President Joe Biden that same year.

Zuppi was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019.

Pope Francis meets with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on Aug. 24, 2023, in Vatican City. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Cardinal Anders Arborelius, 75, Sweden

Arborelius is the first Swedish cardinal in history and has become one of the favorites slated as one of the emerging front-runners to lead the Catholic Church.

As Sweden is a predominately Protestant nation with Catholics making up just over 1% of the country, Arborelius’ elevation from Bishop to Cardinal by Pope Francis in 2017, is still seen as an advantage when it comes to vying for the top spot.

He was also the first Swede to be made a bishop of Stockholm since the 1517 Protestant Reformation when St. John Paul II appointed him in 1998, reported the Catholic Review.

Cardinal Anders Arborelius arrives for a College of Cardinals meeting at he Vatican on April 29, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, 66, France

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline is seen as a top contender for those who are looking to see core principles of Pope Francis carried on by the next pope, particularly when it comes to social justice and immigration.

Aveline also embraced Francis’ push to make the Catholic Church more welcoming.

As a native of Marseille, he is familiar with arguments for and against migration and he has worked with ethnically diverse populations in a city often seen as the crossroads between Africa and Europe, reported the National Catholic Reporter.

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline greets guests on the forecourt of La Major after the funeral ceremony for the former mayor of Marseille, Jean-Claude Gaudin, in Marseille, France on 23 May 2024. (ANNE-SOPHIE NIVAL/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

The Vote

Of the 252 cardinals in the Sacred College, only 138 are under the age of 80 and therefore are permitted to participate in the conclave, the papal election process – though there are no age limitations for the candidate who would serve as the future pope.

Following the death of a pope, the conclave then holds a vote, and will continue to vote, until a pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority.

At that time, the ballots will be burned with a chemical that produces white smoke, as opposed to black smoke, to alert the world that a new pope has been chosen.

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.

World

Shakira Acquitted of Tax Fraud in Spain, Will Be Reimbursed $64 Million: Singer Says She’s Spent Eight Years ‘Enduring Campaigns to Destroy My Reputation’

Published

2 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Press Room

Shakira Acquitted of Tax Fraud in Spain, Will Be Reimbursed Million: Singer Says She’s Spent Eight Years ‘Enduring Campaigns to Destroy My Reputation’

After an eight-year court battle, a Spanish court has ordered the country’s treasury to refund nearly $65 million to singer Shakira after ruling that the money was improperly collected.

The country’s high court has acquitted the Colombian singer of tax fraud and ordered the treasury to repay the money to her, with interest. In the ruling, the court said that tax authorities failed to prove Shakira had spent 183 days in Spain in 2011, effectively making her a resident and liable for personal income tax. The court ruled instead that she had spent just 163 days in the country during that financial year.

The country’s tax agency said it would appeal to the Spanish Supreme Court, and would make no payment until the final ruling.

In a lengthy statement following the ruling, Shakira said: “After more than eight years of enduring brutal public targeting, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately impacted my health and my family’s well-being, the National High Court has finally set the record straight. There was never any fraud, and the Administration itself could never prove otherwise, simply because it wasn’t true.

“Yet, for nearly a decade, I was treated as guilty. Every step of the process was leaked, distorted, and amplified, using my name and public image to send a threatening message to the rest of the taxpayers.

“Today, that narrative crumbles, and it does so with the full force of a court ruling. My greatest wish is that this ruling sets a precedent for the Treasury and serves the thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence at the cost of economic and emotional ruin. This victory is dedicated to them.”

The news comes just days after Shakira was announced as a halftime performer, along with Madonna and BTS, during the half-time show at this summer’s Fifa Men’s World Cup final. Earlier in May, she performed for an estimated 2 million people at a free concert on the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.

World

Bodies of four missing Italian divers found inside ‘shark cave’ in Maldives days after they vanished

Published

3 hours ago

May 18, 2026

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Bodies of four missing Italian divers found inside ‘shark cave’ in Maldives days after they vanished

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Rescuers located the bodies of four Italian divers deep inside an underwater cave in the Maldives, days after the group vanished during a dangerous dive far beyond recreational limits, Italy’s Foreign Ministry said Monday.

Officials said Finnish cave-diving specialists found the bodies in the innermost section of the cave system in Vaavu Atoll, where the divers disappeared Thursday while exploring at a depth of about 160 feet. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 98 feet.

“As was previously thought, the four bodies were found inside the cave, not only inside the cave but well inside the cave into the third segment of the cave, which is the largest part,” Maldives government spokesman Ahmed Shaam said, adding the victims were found “pretty much together.”

The Thinwana Kandu cave system where the bodies were found is known locally as “shark cave.”

RESCUE OPERATION FREES INJURED MAN TRAPPED 130 FEET UNDERGROUND IN ITALIAN CAVE

Monica Montefalcone, one of five Italian scuba divers who died near Alimathaa in the Maldives archipelago while exploring an underwater cave, is shown in this undated photo released by Greenpeace Italia on May 15, 2026. (Greenpeace Italia/AP)

Recovery crews plan to retrieve two bodies Tuesday and the remaining two the following day, officials said.

The discovery came after authorities resumed the search following the death of a Maldivian military diver involved in the rescue mission. Mohamed Mahdi died Saturday from decompression sickness after attempting to reach the trapped divers.

Mohamed Mahdi, a member of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died from decompression sickness during the dangerous mission, officials said. (Maldives National Defense Force)

A fifth Italian diver, identified earlier as a diving instructor, was previously found dead outside the cave.

BAGPIPER DIES DOING POPULAR VACATION ATTRACTION DAYS BEFORE MISSING SON’S REMAINS FOUND IN BACKYARD TREEHOUSE

The specialized Finnish team used advanced closed-circuit rebreather systems, allowing for longer and deeper dives in the cave’s confined environment.

Divers prepare to search for four missing Italian divers near Alimathaa Island, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, on May 15, 2026. (Maldives President’s Media Division/AP)

Rough seas and hazardous underwater conditions repeatedly delayed search efforts as crews mapped and marked the cave entrance before pushing deeper inside.

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Authorities continue to investigate the situation and what led to the divers’ deaths.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

World

‘Feminist’ top diplomat Kallas takes aim at male-dominated diplomacy

Published

4 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Press Room

‘Feminist’ top diplomat Kallas takes aim at male-dominated diplomacy

Published on 18/05/2026 – 15:31 GMT+2•Updated
17:16

The bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has criticised the overwhelmingly male nature of peace negotiation teams, linking it to contemporary diplomacy’s tendency toward short-term results.

“This is a bigger problem we see around the world with different peace talks when we see that they don’t actually address the issues of long-standing peace,” she said at a press conference in Tallinn, Estonia on Sunday.

The ceasefires many talks yield, she said, too often simply declare hostilities over without resolving the “underlying issues” that perpetuate future violence.

Another problem, she said, is the lack of female input.

“There are also studies that show that when women are part of the negotiations, these peace (efforts) last longer,” Kallas expanded, adding that “the picture that we saw from the US China talks, (was) a lot of masculinity in the room”.

“Women have a role,” she said.

Various studies and international bodies, including the UN Security Council, argue that women’s participation in conflict resolution improves outcomes, but mediators and negotiating parties often leave women out of their teams.

According to data compiled by the Council on Foreign Relations, women represented only 16 percent of negotiators in active peace processes led or co-led by the United Nations in 2022.

Security and defence analyst Iana Maisuradze of the European Policy Centre think tank argues that the EU is a firm supporter of the UN resolution calling for more female participation during conflict resolution – and that it is not “sexist argument” to believe that women are beneficial to negotiations. She told Euronews the data backs this up.

“The argument is that women focus on things that male-dominated negotiators are not focusing on such as education, health, victims’ rights, social reconciliation (and) community: things that really bring people together rather than a zero-sum game, which men tend to do,” Maisuradze said.

“Having women at table works because we also bring different perspectives to the resolution of the conflict, and also to the implementation of peace agreements.”

A seat at the table

Kallas’ comments came amid wider chatter in the Belgian capital regarding whether the EU should have a seat at the table for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine – and who should represent the bloc if so.

Putin recently floated appointing former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as the EU’s lead negotiator in potential peace talks on Ukraine. This notion was widely dismissed by European heads of state, and the discussion of who Europe’s mouthpiece should be continues.

Diplomatic sources in Ukraine have said that Russia would “never” accept a woman as lead negotiator.

A diplomatic source in Brussels reiterated this, saying there is no possibility a female figure is being considered as part of the discussions. But another source in the Belgian capital told Euronews that “equality is an important factor”.

Regardless of their differences on the gender issue, most EU officials argue that appointing any envoy before a major European Council (EUCO) summit in June could be unrealistic.

European Commission spokesperson for foreign affairs Anitta Hipper said in response to a question by Euronews on Monday that Kallas is a “feminist” and “has a lot of practice back home”. She was the first female prime minister of Estonia from 2021 to 2024.

Hipper said the Commission could not comment on whether Russia would want a woman at the table, but reiterated that European heads of state will meet in Limassol in Cyprus in the coming weeks to discuss what form any future talks with Ukraine, Russia and Europe might take before June’s EUCO.

“What will be discussed is what our position is in terms of the demands and the ask and what unity we have in demanding our lists of asks from Russia,” Hipper said.

“This is something that we will be looking into – into the what, and not into the who.”