NEW POPE: 135 CATHOLIC CARDINALS TO VOTE DURING SELECTION PROCESS, SEE THOSE ELIGIBLE AS NUMBER IS TRIMMED DOWN

Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, no fewer than 135 Catholic cardinals are eligible to vote for a new Pope who will take over leadership of the church.

Pope Francis’ demise left the position vacant, a period the Catholic Church described as sede vacante, which is Latin for “the seat being vacant”.

Ahead of the process of a new Pope, he would be chosen by the Catholic Church’s most senior officials, known as the College of Cardinals.

According to the BBC, there are currently 252 Catholic cardinals, 135 of whom are eligible to vote for the new Pope.

The others are over the age of 80, which means they cannot take part in the election, although they can join in the debate over who should be selected.

The names potential successors to the 266th pontiff are highlighted below:

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines)

Tagle holds the title of Cardinal-Bishop of San Felice da Cantalice a Centocelle (pro hac vice). He also serves as President of the Catholic Biblical Federation, Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, and is actively involved in several Roman Curia departments.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin (Italy)

Parolin has been the Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013 and joined the Council of Cardinals in 2014, the same year he was elevated to cardinal.

Cardinal Péter Erdő (Hungary)

Erdő has been Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate of Hungary since 2003

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke (USA)

Burke is a prominent conservative figure in the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of St. Louis and Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Church’s highest court, from 2008 to 2014.

He was also Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta between 2014 and 2023.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi (Italy)

Zuppi has been the Archbishop of Bologna since 2015 and previously served as an auxiliary bishop in Rome.

Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk (Netherlands)

Eijk, a former medical doctor and moral theologian, has been Archbishop of Utrecht since 2007 and became a cardinal in 2012.

Cardinal Mario Grech (Malta)

Grech has served as Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops since 2020, playing a pivotal role in the global synodal process.

Cardinal Peter Turkson (Ghana)

Turkson currently heads the Pontifical Academies of Sciences. He previously led the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and was the first prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development

Cardinal Angelo Scola (Italy)

Scola is a seasoned theologian and philosopher who served as Archbishop of Milan from 2011 to 2017 and Patriarch of Venice before that.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa (Italy)

Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM is an Italian Catholic prelate who has served as Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since November 6, 2020.