The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates

Written by the National Catholic Register's longtime Rome correspondent, Edward Pentin, in collaboration with an international team of qualified scholars, these encyclopaedic pages present you with the fruit of years of research.

Each cardinal profile begins with a brief biography that sketches the major points of his ecclesiastical life. Then comes a detailed, richly footnoted report and assessment of his three fundamental roles as a successor to the apostles: his sanctifying role as a priest, his governing role as a bishop, and his prophetic role as a teacher.

[voltfields]

We need a very intelligent pope, one who believe that there is a God. One who will not bend knees to the world, but will stand up against it.

[belmontechuck]

We need a pope that (1) believes in God and loves Him; (2) loves the Church, and all Catholics, no matter what; (3) a person who fears his own Last Judgment, hence he will take decisions that he will be able to defend in that ultimate tribunal.

[Devila]

Ill prefer cardinal tagle for his pastoral mission experience

[belmontechuck]

It seems that, although, recently, all elected popes had been cardinals, the conclave can elect any Christian as the next Bishop of Rome. If he is not a bishop - previously - he is ordained a bishop. This being said, should we think of some one "out of the box"? What about bishop Georg Ganschwein? I think he is of one mind with Benedict XVI and knows the intra-mural business of the Vatican better than many cardinals.

[Ralph_Malph]

Pope Francis is in relatively good health. I believe the conclave won't have to worry for another 10 years.

[annawild]

An actual Catholic Pope rather than a Communist shouldn't be a hard ask. How low the bar has become

[franckranaivo]

DIEU🇻🇦⛑🇻🇦 PROTÈGEZ VOTRE UNIQUE 🌸🌿🌺ET AUTHENTIQUE 🪢🌸🌿VICAIRE🌹🇻🇦🌹 SUR LA TERRE, LE SOUVERAIN PONTIFE🌿🍋🪢 ROMAIN RÉGNANT, SA SAINTETÉ🇻🇦🌿🇻🇦 LE PAPE FRANÇOIS❤🌸🌺🪢🌿🍋🇻🇦⛑🇻🇦🎶📚🌹🦁✒📃🙋‍♂️ !!!

[marokmagdalenamagdalena]

It doesn't have to be a cardinal, it can be a simple priest

[danarose]

Love our Holy Father. May he live many, many more years!

[anthonydecastro]

Burke??? Sara??? Mueller??? Are you nuts???

[VolvoMarkku]

I personally think that the Pope should be from a country which has a significant Catholic majority (at least 60% of the country's population), and where Catholic traditions are a significant part of the country's society, e.g. Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Ireland, Croatia, all of Latin America, etc.

Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, no thanks. 🙅🏻‍♂️ In these countries are catholics a minority of the population, and where their number is also decreasing year after year… 😁

[victoriadriscoll]

Always amuses me, all try to predict next Pope, only the Holy Spirit knows. God Bless our Beloved Holy Father Pope Francis. Amen 🙏🙏🙏

[ltcolj.brandonmasangcay]

Cardinal Tagle's name is pronounced TA glay not TAG el.!

[johannesnicolaas]

Burke pope... hahahaha not in thousands years! pope francis will see to that.

[lanbaode]

Five in One Pope! When Cardinal Tagle becomes Pope Francis II he will be made up of five Popes in one: the Vatican II spirit of Paul VI (doctoral dissertation on Paul VI's role in the Council); the smile (reflective of joy found in Christ) of John Paul I; the charisma (gift of attracting people and bringing them closer to Christ and the Church) of John Paul II; the theological mind of Benedict XVI (considered a first rate theologian by peers); and the pastoral heart (simplicity and closeness to the people he serves) of Pope Francis.

[jgesselberty]

Sara for my money.
But, in the real world, isn't it about time that the laity have more of a say.

[belmontechuck]

Card. Tagle had a Jesuit formation. He might be Francis II...if this is what the Church needs.

[singcook]

I always wonder what the motivation might be to publish such a book now. Pope Francis is healthy, blessed with the Holy Spirit, and shows no indication that he might follow in the footsteps of Pope Benedict. I also question how it is that, given the history of the papacy, we only ever consider current Cardinals in the speculation. We have had unordained laymen elected to the papacy in the past. It could happen again.

[colinmccarthy]

I have two Cardinals in mind, that could be the
Next Pope.The first Cardinal I have in mind, is
a Cardinal from his Continent, both North and
South, which would support him.He has the
Pastoral and Experience of the Church.I feel
the Majority of the Cardinals, would Elect him
Pope at the next Conclave.
The second Cardinal, I have in mind, is a
Cardinal who is well loved by the People
where he comes from.He speaks from his
Heart.He has good Pastoral Experience.
I know we have the Trad’s, the Reformer’s
and the Modernist’s within the Sacred
College of Cardinals.
Since Vatican 2, there have been many Issues
and Challenge’s, that need to be sorted out.
I would say that my first Cardinal above, would
that Cardinal elected as Pope at the next
Conclave.I am sure this would be Our Lord’s
Jesus choice.It is through the Holy Spirit,
that Our Lord Jesus chooses.

[luisalbertorodriguezch]

Burke is not humble at all and has failed his oath of obedience to pope Francis. Not a role model cardinal.