Who will be the next pope? Here's a list of some possible candidates to succeed Pope Francis.
Update: American Cardinal Robert Prevost has been chosen as the new pope and took the name Leo XIV — the first pope in history from the United States.
Pope Francis' death on April 21, the day after he made his last appearance on Easter Sunday, kicked off a series of traditions that culminated on Thursday with some of the Catholic Church's most senior prelates voting to elect a new pope. A group of 133 cardinal electors — cardinals under the age of 80 — entered the Sistine Chapel on May 7 for the conclave, holding a series of secret ballots to choose the next pontiff.
"Every papal conclave comes down, in some sense, to a referendum on the papacy that has just ended," John Allen, a longtime observer of the Vatican and editor of the Catholic news site Crux, said.
While several of the likely front-runners going into the conclave represented continuity with the direction set by Pope Francis, he said, others would signal "a change in a slightly more traditional, conservative direction."
No matter their leanings, Allen said, the cardinal electors would want someone who can equal Pope Francis' stature on the world stage. "They want, in part, someone who can have the same capacity to make it absolutely impossible for the wider world to ignore what the Catholic Church has to say."
Over the last 600 years — since 1378 — cardinals have been chosen for the position, although eligibility technically extends to any male Roman Catholic who has been baptized.
"This is the world's oldest democratic exercise. It is an election," Allen told CBS News.
And while "Catholics believe that all of this unfolds under the guidance of the Holy Spirit," Allen said "the fact that this is a supernatural process doesn't make it any less human, and therefore, doesn't it make it any less political."
Here is a look at some of the cardinals who were considered possible contenders to become pope:
Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Budapest, Hungary
Cardinal Peter Erdo, a 72-year-old canon lawyer, is the highest ranking Catholic leader in a country that is 80% Christian. He is known for his support of the pope's outreach to Orthodox Christians.
Erdo is also on the conservative side of the European cultural divide. On migration, a key issue for Hungary, he has conveyed a balanced approach, recognizing the right to migrate but also the importance of ensuring political stability.
Erdo is considered a traditionalist but is also respected by liberals, which could make him a unifying force within the church.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, grew global attention for leading African bishops in unanimous rejection of "Fiducia Supplicans," a declaration the Vatican issued in 2023 that included guidelines on the blessings of people in same-sex relationships.
At 65 years old, he is known as a supporter of orthodoxy and defends priestly celibacy and the church's moral teachings. He is also known as a promoter of social justice and a champion of the poor and voiceless, and is outspoken in his criticism of the Congolese government.
If elected he would be the first African chosen to lead the Catholic Church in more than 1,500 years. The last African pontiff was Pope Gelasius, who died in 496 after leading the church for a little over three years.
Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general for the Synod of Bishops
Cardinal Mario Grech, 68, is a canon lawyer who has major influence on how synods in the church are run. Supporters have praised him for leading the charge in implementing a more consultative and inclusive approach to church governance.
Grech comes from Malta, which is one of the smallest countries in the world.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, is second-in-command at the Vatican and a career diplomat who has consistently risen above any turbulence marking the pontificate.
John Allen, the Crux editor, sees him as a front-runner.
"The point of reference for this conclave is almost certainly Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the man who was Pope Francis' Secretary of State — his right-hand man for 12 years."
He is regarded as a moderate who, if elected, could repair rifts inside the church. He is also considered a progressive with a global vision.
But while Parolin has garnered a lot of speculation as a contender heading into the conclave, Allen cautioned against any notion of a sure thing in papal politics.
"There's a famous Italian saying, that he who enters a conclave as a pope, exits a cardinal — meaning that if you're getting a lot of buzz, you're not going to be elected," he said.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, is a pastoral candidate who has spoken out amid the Israel-Hamas war and visited Gaza during the conflict.
He is a proponent of social justice and sees himself as a servant of the people. He is similar to Francis in his concern for migrants, interfaith dialogue and his disdain for clericalism.
Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines
Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, pro-prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, is known as the "Asian Francis" for his missionary spirit as well as his emphasis on caring for the poor and welcoming of LGBTQ and divorced and remarried Catholics.
He is the former archbishop of Manila, in the Philippines, which is one of the most Catholic countries on the continent of Asia, and studied in the U.S. for seven years. His election would signal a continuation of Francis' pontificate.
If elected he would become the first Asian pontiff in modern times.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Philippines
Another Filipino, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, was also being spoken of ahead of the conclave as a potential new pontiff.
David, often known as Cardinal Ambo, was one of the last cardinals appointed by Francis, gaining the rank only about five months ago.
He attended the same school, led by Jesuit priests, as his compatriot Tagle during the 1970s. David gained notoriety for taking a firm and public stand against the alleged human rights abuses of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
In his role as a bishop, David focused much of his work on helping the poor and other social issues. His fellow Asian bishops chose him to lead a commission dedicated to making the church "more inclusive," in his own words.
Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States
Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost is seen as having many of the qualities desired in a pope, and if elected, he would become the first U.S. pope in the church's history.
Prevost is the head of the church's Dicastery for Bishops, meaning he oversees the selection of new bishops. It's a powerful position, and for any cardinal electors who may be turned off by his American nationality, it's not his only one. Prevost is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Peru, where he served for many years.
Overall, he's considered a centrist, but on many social issues he's seen as progressive, embracing marginalized groups like Francis, who championed migrants and the poor. But Prevost opposes ordaining women as deacons, for instance, so he's seen as conservative on church doctrine.
His age could also be a factor — at 69 some may consider him too young to hold the church's highest office.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, Italy
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, is the president of the Italian bishops conference. He is known as a "street priest" and missionary and wants a church that listens to the faithful and is willing to modernize. Zuppi is inclusive of same-sex couples, as well as people of different religions.
Francis chose Zuppi as his envoy to Russia and Ukraine, as well as to the West Bank and Beijing, to promote peace.
Cardinal Anders Arborelius, archbishop of Stockholm
Cardinal Anders Arborelius, 75, was raised Lutheran and converted to Catholicism at the age of 20. He is the first ever cardinal from Scandinavia.
He is also a traditionalist on the church's teaching on sexual ethics and gender, and has a strong concern for the environment.
Arborelius has been a proponent of immigration into Sweden, calling for dialogue and integration instead of restrictions.
Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix of Quebec
Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix, Metropolitan Archbishop of Quebec, Canada, is 67 years old. Earlier in his career he spent years as a missionary and seminary professor in Colombia.
He temporarily stepped back from his duties amid sexual abuse allegations, which he denied, and returned to his duties last year after a church-led investigation found no evidence of misconduct.
Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana
Conservative-leaning Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana would, like Ambongo, be the Catholic Church's first contemporary African pope if selected.
But the Ghanaian, who was the first man from his country to be made a cardinal, is considered a less hard-line conservative than his Congolese counterpart.
The 76-year-old has opposed the criminalization of homosexual relationships in Africa, including in his home country.
In 2012, he was criticized for fear-mongering about Islam in Europe during a Vatican conference, and he later apologized.
The following year, he told BBC News he didn't want the Catholic Church's top job, saying, "I'm not sure whether anyone does aspire to become a pope."
Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of France
At 66, French Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, the Archbishop of Marseille, is on the younger side compared to many of his fellow prelates. If chosen as the next pope, he would be the first Frenchman to hold the position since Gregory XI died in 1378.
Aveline, who was born in Algeria under French colonial rule but grew up in Marseille, is considered a progressive on issues such as immigration, as was Pope Francis.
He has spoken out about drug trafficking networks based in Marseille, and helped to establish an institution that encourages interfaith dialogue between Catholics, Muslims and Jews.
Aveline was considered a favorite of Pope Francis, but some believe his chances as a papal candidate could be harmed by the fact that he doesn't speak Italian.
