Which cardinal will be the next pope

Pope Francis will celebrate his 83rd birthday next week, and his physical condition has never been robust. In its current draft form, the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium makes Propaganda Fide a super-dicastery, second only to the Secretariat of State and superior to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in its power.

On one level it makes sense for Pope Francis to appoint a cardinal who shares his views to what will become the 3 post at the Vatican. On another level the choice will give Cardinal Tagle experience in dealing with the Roman Curia: experience that might be considered a necessity for a papal candidate.

So did Pope Francis make the appointment to advance his own plans, or to promote a potential successor?

Does it matter? While the Pope can promote the standing of his own favored prelates, bear in mind that he will not have a vote at the next conclave. And maybe he was. But the conclave made a different choice. Many cardinal-electors, shaken by the controversies that have dogged this pontificate, might look for a very different sort of candidate—someone who would restore confidence, reinvigorate traditional teaching, or at least bring a sense of equilibrium to the Vatican.

Their primary responsibility is to elect a new pope. Following a vacancy in the papacy, the cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican called general congregations. They discuss the needs and the challenges facing the Catholic Church globally. They will also prepare for the upcoming papal election, called a conclave. Decisions that only the pope can make, such as appointing a bishop or convening the Synod of Bishops, must wait till after the election.

In the past, they made arrangements for the funeral and burial of the deceased pope. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. In general, there is a preference for a pastor, not a manager. But a pope who cannot manage, is not wanted either. Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga from Honduras, born He is the strongest Latin American candidate.

Maradiaga has also a big say in the Vatican bureaucracy. He is certainly an experienced man of the Roman curia the highest administrative authority in Rome.

The hondurese chairs the so called Council of seven Cardinal Advisers, that advices the pope. Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle from the Philippines, born in This is the candidate of people who would like a young, modern and charismatic pope. He is pushed by pope Francis and therefore not the favorite candidate for the anti-Francis cardinales.

Tagle is chief of International Caritas, an important Catholic aid organisation. The soft spoken earl he comes from a noble family is in line with the previous pope Benedict XVI and man of dialogue. Matteo Maria Zuppi from Italy, born in Since 20 per cent of all cardinals eligible to vote that is about men come from Italy, the influence of the Italian group cannot be ruled out.

This is the man who, because of his pastoral qualities and friendship with Pope Francis, does stand a chance. He is too young, though. Pietro Parolin from Italy, born in If you want an Italian and a curia man as the next pope, you end up with Parolin. He is the number two in power. But secretaries of state are often not so popular with cardinals who head their local church. Robert Sarah from French Guinea, born in At the conclave they counted for 40 out of the electors; after the November consistory, they will count for 29 out of Throughout his pontificate, Francis has emphasized the importance of synodality in the church and the role of the Synod of Bishops.

A total of 18 participated in the conclave, but after the November consistory, there will be 29 among the electors. The changes brought about by Francis in terms of electors is most clearly seen when one compares the number and geographical distribution of electors at the conclave to the count that will prevail after the November consistory.

In making his choices, Pope Francis has sought prayerful and humble men, deeply committed to Jesus, not career seekers or those with princely demeanor. A total of electors from 48 countries participated in the conclave that elected the first Latin American and the first Jesuit pope—60 were European, 28 of those were Italian; 19 were Latin American, including Mexico and Central America; 14 were North American, including 11 from the United States and three from Canada; 11 were African; 10 were Asian; and one elector was from Oceania.

By comparison, if a conclave were to be held soon after the November consistory, the number of electors would be Of these 52 would be European, including 22 Italians; 18 would be African; 15 would be Asian; 24 would be from Latin America; 13 would be North Americans,nine from the United States and four from Canada; and four would be from Oceania.

Those numbers, of course, are subject to change over time as cardinal electors turn 80 or pass away. They could change even more significantly if Francis, who is in good health, were to hold other consistories, say at the end of or in It is entirely possible that he may not yet have created the cardinal who will be the next pope. Pope Francis is making him a Cardinal.

Drew Christiansen. While the numbers are significant, the most important factor, in my view, is the profile of the men to whom Pope Francis has given the red hat. In making his choices, he has sought prayerful and humble men, deeply committed to Jesus, not career seekers or those with princely demeanor.

He has sought men committed to the culture of encounter, not confrontational types. He has selected men of a simple lifestyle, with love for the poor, men who care for the migrants, the outcast and the exploited, and who have the courage to take prophetic stances on their behalf when necessary. He has chosen men filled with hope, not prophets of doom. Correction, Oct.