willingness to defend some of the church’s core moral teachings.
• Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, the archbishop of Bologna, who
was born in Rome, is a prominent fi gure on the center-left of the Catholic Church and is often men- tioned as a potential candidate for the papacy. Known for his warm, media-sav-
vy approach, he is often compared to Pope Francis in his emphasis on mercy and outreach. Although not a trained diplomat,
• Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72. On the conservative wing
is the Hungarian arch- bishop of Esztergom-Bu- dapest. A highly accom- plished church lawyer, he is noted for his lofty intellect and infl uence. His legal skills will be
important if the car- dinals wish to reverse many of Pope Francis’ changes.
ERDO
He upholds traditional Catholic teachings, making him appealing to those seeking continuity with past popes like Benedict XVI. He has been primate of the Hun-
garian Catholic Church, and as a former president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, he understands the challenges of Christianity in secular Europe. He has a calm and
reserved personality, somewhat timid and risk- averse, and avoids public controversy, preferring to focus on the church’s spiritual and moral mis- sion.
• Cardinal Pietro Pa- rolin, 70, the Vatican’s
PAROLIN
secretary of state, is one of the lead- ing candidates. A left-leaning Italian
moderate and seasoned Vatican diplomat, he has played key roles in inter- national negotiations, including relations with China, Venezuela, and the Middle East. A close and trusted
adviser to Francis,
aligning with his vision of church reform, he is the only Francis ap- pointee who remained in his post throughout the pontifi cate. A pragmatist, he focuses on
dialogue, diplomacy, and peaceful resolutions rather than the truths of the faith. He is known for his careful and measured communica- tion style; he avoids controversy and works behind the scenes. At a time when
cardinals hardly know one another, Parolin is a familiar fi gure to all the cardinals, which helps his chances.
His Achilles heel is
the controversial 2018 Vatican-China provision- al agreement and doubts over his orthodoxy and
he has been involved in internation- al peace negotiations, particularly in Mozambique and other confl ict zones. Pope Francis recently sent Zuppi
as a peace envoy to Ukraine, Rus- sia, and the Middle East. He tries to ap- peal to both conser- vatives and progres- sives, but his focus is distinctly on progres- sive politics, and he is known jokingly as “chaplain” to Italy’s center-left Democratic Party (PD). He is involved in helping the poor, mi- grants, and marginal- ized groups, especially the LGBTQ+ com- munity. He would be very much a continuity fi g- ure, carrying forward Francis’ vision, but one that many practic- ing Catholics will view as distinctly at odds with the church’s apostolic tradition.
ZUPPI EIJIK
• Cardinal Willem Eijk, 71, the archbishop of Utrecht, is a
APRIL 2025 | NEWSMAX 67
PAROLIN/STANISLAV IVANOV/GLOBAL IMAGES UKRAINE VIA GETTY IMAGES / ZUPPI/STEFANO SPAZIANI/GETTY IMAGES EIJIK/ALESSANDRA BENEDETTI/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES / SMOKE/GUIDO MARZILLA/GAMMA-RAPHO VIA GETTY IMAGES
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