The process of selecting a new pope could start in a matter of weeks, following .
Senior members of the Roman Church are travelling to the Vatican on Tuesday to mourn Francis for a nine-day period and plan his funeral.
The conclave — a secretive voting ritual to elect a new pope — starts in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel between 15 and 20 days after the death.
All cardinals under the age of 80 can take part in the secret ballot. They need a majority of at least two-thirds plus one to elect the new pope, so the voting can take several rounds spread over numerous days.
During his leadership, Francis was considered a progressive reformist, who appointed a record number of non-Europeans as cardinals who will now take part in the voting. Nearly 80 per cent of the electors were appointed by him.
That legacy could make a progressive successor more likely, or that for the first time in centuries, the next pope could come from Africa or Asia.
Here are some of those being considered likely choices — referred to as 'papabili' — to be the next pope.
Luis Antonio Tagle
Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, is a popular choice to be the next pope. Source: AP / Andrew Medichini
Tagle has been called the "Asian Francis" because of his similar commitment to social justice during his work in the Philippines as archbishop of Manila between 2011 and 2020.
He comes from what some call Asia's Catholic lung, as the Philippines has the region's largest Catholic population.
Between 2015 and 2022, he was the leader of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of more than 160 Catholic relief, social service, and development organisations around the world.
Tagle is considered a more progressive option to be the next pope.
Pietro Parolin
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, is considered the pope's deputy as the Vatican's secretary of state. Source: AP / Michael Sohn
The position is similar to that of a prime minister, and secretaries of state are often called the "deputy pope" because they rank second to the pontiff in the Vatican hierarchy.
Parolin previously served as deputy foreign minister under Pope Benedict, who in 2009 appointed him the Vatican's ambassador in Venezuela.
Parolin is seen as a compromise candidate between progressives and conservatives.
Peter Turkson
Cardinal Peter Turkson, 76, has served as chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences since 2022. Credit: AP
The fourth son in a family of 10 children, he studied at seminaries in Ghana and New York and was ordained in 1975.
Pope John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Cape Coast in 1992 and, 11 years later, made him the first cardinal in the history of the West African state.
He has been vocal on issues like climate and economic justice while affirming the church’s traditional positions on the priesthood, marriage between a man and a woman, and homosexuality.
Peter Erdo
Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, has been the Archbishop of Budapest since 2003. Source: AP / Attila Kovacs
He previously served as head of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences and has emphasised theological orthodoxy.
He has close relationships with cardinals around the world as the council hosts regular sessions with African bishops' conferences and similar groups in Asia.
For those seeking a return to the conservatism of previous popes, Erdo would represent a major shift away from Francis' more progressive approach.
Angelo Scola
Cardinal Angelo Scola, 83, is one of the older candidates for pope and previously served as the Archbishop of Milan. Credit: AP
A former archbishop of Milan, Scola has deep theological roots and appeals to those who support a more centralised and hierarchical Church.
His traditionalist stance makes him a strong candidate for those looking to pivot away from Francis' reforms.
— With additional reporting by Reuters
