With the world bidding farewell to Pope Francis, individuals all over, including a fresh crop of believers, are eagerly awaiting the gathering of the College of Cardinals to elect a new pope.
A conclave, organized by the camerlengo, presently Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, begins 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death.
“There are endless possibilities,” said Tim Gabrielli, an associate professor and holder of the Gudorf Chair in Catholic Intellectual Traditions at the University of Dayton in Ohio, speaking to Fox News Digital.
Pope Francis was 76 years old when he was elected. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Throughout his 12-year tenure as pope, Pope Francis showed a commitment to promoting inclusivity within the Catholic Church, advocating for the inclusion of divorced Catholics and offering blessings to same-sex couples.
“My read is that he had certain particular processes and structures that he was very interested in setting into motion, like the work on synodality more recently,” Gabrielli said.
Pope Francis also drove conversation around climate change. His emphasis on environmental protection followed suit with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II before him.
“He was kind of picking up that momentum,” Gabrielli said. “There’s really a thread you see happening there.”
Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025. (Andrew Medichini/AP)
Presently, there are 252 living cardinals. However, only top members of the church under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. A maximum of 120 cardinal electors make up the voting college.
The limit was set by Pope John Paul VI in 1975.
“I think it’s possible that someone could be seen as close to Pope Francis,” Gabrielli said of the next pope. “I think it’s possible for someone to be elected who has a different set of priorities than Pope Francis.”
