"Who will be the next pope " and how does the conclave work?
New website sheds light on the cardinals who will elect the pontiff after Francis' death
The conclave could return a conservative, whose "appointment would send a powerful message about the direction the Church would be taking", said the Catholic Herald, or "a Pope from the developing world". A pick like the Philippines' Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle "would be hailed by liberals, given the changing demographic of the Church".
Tagle has long been one of the leading "papabili" (the contenders to be pope) as they are known in Italian, among both Vatican watchers and bookmakers.
However, in November, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, or highest-ranking diplomat, became the favourite with the bookmakers.
For 11 years he has survived Francis' "regular savage reshuffles", said Damian Thompson in The Spectator.
"He is regarded as a moderate who would be able to repair the damage caused by his boss's outbursts and vendettas."
theweek.com
The Papabili
12 leading Cardinal Candidates to be Pope
collegeofcardinalsreport.com
