• A papal conclave has kicked off in Vatican City
  • It comes after the death of Pope Francis aged 88 on Easter Monday
  • Different bookies are giving different betting odds on his successor
Who will be the next pope after the conclave?
Who will be the next pope after the conclave? Credit: IMAGO

Who will be the next pope after the conclave? Well, officially, there is no word yet.

Currently, 133 cardinals have been sequestered into the depths of the Vatican City. All the votes have resulted in a plume of black smoke rather than the final decision shade of white.

This comes after the death of Pope Francis, aged 88, on Easter Monday. In his last acts on Earth, he met with US Vice-President JD Vance and condemned the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

Who will be the next pope after Pope Francis
Pope Francis died at the age of 88. Credit: Imago

Read more: How do we know when the conclave is done?

Like with many things of this international importance, the world’s eyes have turned to the decision process to find the next pope. Technially any confirmed Catholic male can be in the running. Practically, this is far too of a pool to pick from.

Data experts have tried to shape this speculation into betting odds, but many have expressed concern with their accuracy.

Who wll be the next pope after the conclave
Ralph Fiennes in Conclave (2024). Credit: IMAGO/Landmark Media

“Does it have more predictability than if you just picked one out of 130 cardinals, and you gave them all the same chance of winning? I would say ‘yeah probably.’

“If you have specific information about five of the cardinals, or maybe one or two specific ones, you could get quite a bit of information about what’s going to happen,” Harry Crane, a statistic professor at Rutgers, told USA Today. “There’s only 130 of them.”

Who is in the running to be the next pope?

There are a number of names being touted as the next pope. Among these is Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The Italian is a 70-year-old who has been deemed a potential compromise for the more conservative and more progressive factions.

Additionally, there is Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle. If elected, he would be the first Asian pope as he comes from the Philippines. Known for his Pope Francis-like commitment to social issues, the former Archbishop of Manila already caught headlines for his potential act of “heresy”, namely a karaoke rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine.

Thirdly, we have Cardinal Kodwo Turkson, who currently acts as the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The 76-year-old Ghanian would be the first pope from Sub-Saharan Africa.

Anyone else?

The Archbishop of Bologna Cardinal Matteo Zuppi is another potential pope – like Francis – known for his advocacy of social issues. Regarded as a “street priest”, his pet issues are migrant rights and the poor.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem’s Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is another Italian in the running. During his work in the city, he has spoken out against Hamas and Israeli violence. At 59, he is considered by many to be too young for the role.

The ex-president of the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe, Cardinal Peter Erdo is also being listed as a likely contender. The 72-year-old hails from Hungary. Along with others, he is considered to be a compromise between all the ideological strains within the church.