Pope Francis on Monday died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced.
DAILY POST reported that late Francis was elected pope on March 13, 2013, becoming the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The pontiff had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.
Here are the top 8 Cardinals likely to succeed Francis.
Peter Turkson, 76
The former Bishop of the Cape Coast, would be the first black Pope and would have the appeal of reaching out to Africa. Born in Ghana, he was sent by Pope Francis as a peace envoy to South Sudan.
Luis Antonio Tagle, 67
Tagle is a frontrunner this time round and is considered one of the more liberal candidates
Pietro Parolin, 70
Parolin has worked closely with Pope Francis but has upset some with his views on China.
He is seen as a moderate, though not as close to the liberal wing as Francis has sometimes appeared to be.
Peter Erdo, 72
From the Eastern bloc, Erdo is a deep conservative and has spoken against divorced or remarried Catholics receiving holy communion.
Jose Tolentino, 59
As the relative youth candidate, he has advocated that biblical scholars engage with the modern world by watching films and listening to music.
Matteo Zuppi, 69
Zuppi has been Archbishop of Bologna since 2015 and was appointed a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019. Two years ago, the Pope made him the Vatican peace envoy for Ukraine.
Mario Grech, 68
Cardinal Grech has played a key role in advancing Pope Francis’s vision for a more inclusive and participatory Church.
He served as the Bishop of Gozo and is now the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.
Robert Sarah, 79
Born in French Guinea, Sarah is another possibility as the first black pope. A conservative, he has denounced gender ideology as a threat to society. He has also spoken out against Islamic fundamentalism.
