Possible successors to Pope Francis: A missionary or the 'head' of the Italian Church

Pope Francis's trip to Africa hasn't put an end to the rumors about the Pontiff's immediate future. Recent health issues have led to the idea of a possible abdication being discussed in the Italian media with complete naturalness. However, the previous Pope, Benedict XVI, was still alive, and three Popes were too many. After Joseph Ratzinger's death at 95 years old on December 31, 2022, the possibility of Jorge Bergoglio following in his footsteps remains more alive than ever.

The Argentine Pope gives many statements to the media but knows how to measure his words very well. It is his actions that say something more. The truth is that the second part of the nearly decade he has spent on the throne of Saint Peter is characterized by movement. Francis conveys a sense of urgency in renewing the Catholic Church, a progressive shift in contrast to the two previous papacies.

"I haven't thought about that possibility, but that doesn't mean I won't think about it the day after tomorrow," he declared to the media in the summer of 2022.

Renewing the Church

Francis has given more power to women than ever in the Vatican, has taken control of Opus Dei and the Order of Malta, has modernized the Church's official stance on homosexuals, and has continued the policy of rapprochement with other faiths.

A series of changes that haven't pleased the more conservative wing of the clergy and have led the Pontiff's enemies to openly show their animosity toward Francis I. A situation that speaks volumes about the depth of the Vatican reforms. All Pontiffs have had enemies, but never have they spoken out so publicly. Even in Madrid, a meeting of 'rebel' bishops took place, who raised the defense of Benedict XVI to criticize his successor.

Since mid-2022, the Pope's health problems are evident. However, the secrecy surrounding the true state of his physical condition doesn't help the rumors to cease. In the summer of 2022, after his return from a state trip to Canada, Francis was seen for the first time in a wheelchair without issues. Once again, alarms were raised.

Preparing the Succession

In 2021, Francis reformed the so-called Vatican Constitution, which in turn modified the way of appointing the Conclave that will produce the name of his successor, whether it occurs after his abdication or after his death. The goal is for the successor to maintain Francis's reformist spirit.

In August 2022, Francis appointed nine 21 cardinals, of whom 16 will be part of the Conclave that will choose the next successor to the Throne of Saint Peter.

Among the new cardinals, the names of Robert McElroy, bishop of San Diego, California, considered a progressive for his positions on homosexual Catholics and abortion rights, or the Italian missionary Giorgio Marengo, who carries out his work in Mongolia, stand out.

The Possible Successors

Marengo, the youngest cardinal in the world, is one of the names strongly mentioned as a possible successor to Francis. This 48-year-old Italian has seen the Catholic Church in Mongolia practically grow from scratch. His pastoral work in this Asian country is his greatest credential for accessing the Pontificate, in addition to his age, which would allow for a long reign in which to carry out long-term reforms.

He arrived in Mongolia in 2003 to accompany a small Christian community in Alvaiheer, in the Uvurkhangai region. At that time, there were almost no Catholics in this Asian country, and today they make up 2.2 percent of the society.

The success of his pastoral work has led Pope Francis to consider him for inclusion in the College of Cardinals. In statements, Marengo has always confessed to being in "perfect harmony" with the Pontiff's thoughts.

Asia is an essential place for the future of Catholicism. "One shouldn't rule out that the Church might choose an Asian Pope after an American one. The role in Europe doesn't need strengthening; it's part of our culture, a Spanish or Italian Pope won't increase faith in our countries. However, in Asia, the number of faithful to the Catholic religion has increased significantly, and figures like Tagle have played an essential role," an Italian journalist knowledgeable about Vatican affairs assured Elcierredigital.com some time ago.

For this reason, one of the names that has been considered for years for the succession to the Pope is that of a Filipino. Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila.

Of Chinese origin, Tagle was brought to Rome in 2019 by the express wish of the Pope. 'Chito,' as his close friends call him, is 64 years old and has a progressive profile. For this reason, Francis placed him at the head of the most strategic positions of the Holy See, such as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, that is, the person in charge of organizing the network of Catholic missionaries. Before that, he was at the head of Caritas International and from that position publicly called for the forgiveness of debts to Third World countries. These positions were pleasing to Pope Francis.

However, there is also another name being considered, that of the Italian Matteo Maria Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, who months ago was elected president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, which, along with the Spanish one, is one of the most influential in the Holy See. He is viewed very favorably by Pope Francis and doesn't have significant enemies among the conservative sector. He would be the first Italian Pope in almost half a century, with the transalpine country having produced the most Pontiffs.

As a decade of Pontificate is about to be completed, Francis, regardless of whether he abdicates or not, seems to want to secure the future of the Roman Catholic Church after him.