Cardinals prepare for the conclave. Archive photo: AFP
Although Pope Francis is still the head of the Catholic Church, experts are already paying attention to signs that could predict who will succeed him. The first important signal may come during Francis’ funeral, when an unofficial “map of influence” for the upcoming conclave is being formed. Reuters writes about this.
Catholic tradition does not allow the current pope to speak openly about his successor during his lifetime, but analysts are already pointing to potential candidates. Among them are prefects of key dicasteries, cardinals from Latin America, Africa and even the United States, who have gained influence in recent years due to their proximity to Pope Francis and his reforms.
Particular attention is paid to who will be in charge of the funeral – and from which wing of the church they come. This is considered an important “power index” in the behind-the-scenes struggle for the papacy.
Although there is no formal list of candidates, church policy experts predict that the next pontiff could either continue Francis’ course or represent a “conservative revenge”. Not only spiritual issues are at stake, but also the global geopolitics of the Church, which is seeking a balance between tradition and modernisation.
