Tonight, a new Pope will be elected in the conclave to replace Pope Francis.
The College of Cardinals – from where the contenders all come from – comprises of 133 eligible cardinals from 70 countries. Here are the eight cardinals topping the list as at the time of filing this report.
- Cardinal Wim Eijk, 71, the Netherlands
- Cardinal Mario Grech, 67, Malta
- Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, Italy
- Cardinal Raymond Burke, 76, United States of America
- Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, Italy
- Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, Hungary
- Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, Philippines
During the conclave, the 133 eligible cardinals will be sequestered from the outside world.
They’ll all surrender their mobile phones and operating in a cell-phone-jammed environment around the Vatican to prevent external communications.
- “God of Elijah, come o,” reactions as gunmen kidnap Catholic Priest
- Why Pope Francis may die, Vatican reveals shocking details
Needless to say, the Catholic Pope’s responsibilities are enormous. The new Pope would immediately take charge of the 1.4 billion Catholic faithfuls worldwide.