An old saying about papal elections goes like this: “He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves as a cardinal.” In other words, any candidate seen as a favorite before voting begins should be treated with caution, and no cardinal should enter the Sistine Chapel presuming they will receive the votes.
This conclave will be crucial in deciding the future directions of the Roman Catholic Church, and the number of candidates is wide open thanks to Pope Francis’s reforms.
During his pontificate, Francis reshaped the composition of the body that will elect his successor, making it more representative of the global Church.
He discarded the old and tacit code of conduct that assumed bishops from certain dioceses (several in Italy) would automatically be named cardinals and, instead, granted red hats to bishops from parts of the world that had never had them before, such as Tonga, Haiti, and Papua New Guinea. Several of them are “strangers” to the Roman system, making it hard to predict how they will vote.
However, only a few cardeals possess the skills, experience, and personality necessary to assume the leadership role of the Roman Catholic Church.
The electors will need to consider the Church’s priorities and the profile of the next candidate. They will also need to consider whether the next pope should continue the reforms started by Francis or follow a different direction.
They will seek someone capable of leading a global church and offering reliable moral leadership on the world stage. Some see the church’s future as being in Asia, leading to speculation that the next pope could be from Southeast Asia.
Age is also a factor, with the last two conclaves opting for older popes to ensure shorter pontificates.
Source: CNN