Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state since early in the pontificate of Pope Francis, has long been near the top of pundits’ lists of potential successors to the Argentine pope.
2025 Conclave
Warm, welcoming, French cardinal works with migrants, Mediterranean
Good-natured, affable and dedicated to dialogue, French Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille coordinates a churchwide network in the Mediterranean region, a mission he received from Pope Francis.
As conclave nears, all but four cardinal electors are in Rome
All but four of the 135 cardinals who are eligible to enter the conclave May 7 to vote for a new pope had arrived in Rome by May 2, according to the Vatican press office.
Holy Spirit, humanity on hand for conclave, says Maryland priest who served at papal election
With the conclave just a few days away, the pastor of a Maryland parish told OSV News he has “an enormous degree of confidence” in the papal selection process, having seen it from the inside in 2005 when Pope Benedict XVI was chosen.
Conclave: Going inside and exploring the history of a papal election
The extensive role of the cardinals in today’s papal elections and in the church can be traced to the 11th century and Pope Nicholas II.
7 reasons to pray for the cardinals in conclave
As the College of Cardinals gathers in Rome for the conclave that will elect our next pope, the rest of us may feel like we have no real role to play in the process.
French-born cardinal has decades of diplomatic experience in Americas, Africa
French Cardinal Christophe Pierre, 79, has worked the past 48 years in the Vatican’s diplomatic service, most recently as papal nuncio to the United States for the past nine years.
Hungarian cardinal from ‘the heart of Europe’ shows decades of leadership
Although not a familiar name in the U.S. press, Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, 72, is a major figure among his peers in Europe, the church’s traditional heartland and the region of about 38.5% of the cardinal electors.
Before conclave, cardinal warns of cruelty hidden behind ‘elegant speeches’
As the Catholic Church’s cardinals prepare to elect a new pope, they must be wary of “elegant speeches” that hide a subtle cruelty toward the poor and vulnerable, said the Vatican’s former doctrinal chief.
Challenges new pope will face — and qualities experts say he’ll need
The challenge of leading a Catholic flock of 1.4 billion, from that moment on, will be on his shoulders. From theologians to Vatican insiders, there’s agreement that the next pontiff must balance deep faith with sharp governance.
Pilgrims venerating ‘holy tunic’ of Jesus in France pray for cardinals in Rome
As cardinals gather in Rome ahead of the May 7 conclave, thousands of pilgrims are flocking to the Basilica of St. Denis in Argenteuil, France, to venerate what’s believed to be the holy tunic of Jesus — the seamless robe described in the Gospels.
Vatican guesthouse offers cardinals privacy, relaxed comfort
St. John Paul II had the Domus Sanctae Marthae built primarily to house cardinals in simple comfort during a conclave.