The Vatican said that Pope Francis passed away on Monday at the age of 88.
According to reports, the late Francis became the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church when he was elected pope on March 13, 2013.
The pope had just recovered from a severe case of double pneumonia.
The top eight Cardinals who are most likely to succeed Francis are listed here.
76-year-old Peter Turkson
As the first Black Pope, the former Bishop of the Cape Coast would have the ability to connect with Africans. He was dispatched to South Sudan as a peace envoy by Pope Francis and was born in Ghana.
Tagle, Luis Antonio, 67
This time around, Tagle is leading the field and is regarded as one of the more liberal contenders.
Parolin, Pietro, 70
Although Parolin and Pope Francis have collaborated extensively, his opinions on China have angered some.
Despite not being as close to the liberal wing as Francis has occasionally seemed, he is seen as a moderate.
72-year-old Peter Erdo
Erdo, a staunch conservative from the Eastern Bloc, has opposed divorced or remarried Catholics getting holy communion.
Jose Tolentino, age 59
He has argued that biblical academics should watch movies and listen to music in order to interact with the contemporary society, since he is the relative youth candidate.
Zuppi, Matteo, 69
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Pope Francis named Zuppi a cardinal in 2019, and he has served as the Archbishop of Bologna since 2015. He was appointed Vatican peace envoy for Ukraine by the Pope two years ago.
Mario Grech, age 68
Pope Francis’s vision for a more open and active Church has been advanced in large part by Cardinal Grech.
He is currently the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, having previously served as the Bishop of Gozo.
Sarah Robert, 79
Another contender to be the first Black pope is Sarah, who was born in French Guinea. He has criticized gender ideology as a danger to society and is a conservative. Additionally, he has voiced his opposition to Islamic fanaticism.
