Following the death of Pope , 88, the oldest pope in over a century, on Monday morning, discussions about his potential successor have reportedly already commenced.

While technically any male Catholic could be selected as the next pope, historically, the Sacred College of Cardinals has chosen popes since 1378, according to .

Currently, the body consists of 252 cardinals who have been to advise and assist the pope.

Here’s a look at some leading candidates to become the 267th pope, based on public reports.

Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state and the highest-ranking in the Catholic Church’s governing body, is considered a strong contender for the papacy.

The New York Post reports that his moderate political stance and diplomatic background make him popular among the cardinals in the Sacred College, who will elect the next pope.

Appointed by Pope Francis in 2014, Parolin previously served in Mexico and Nicaragua and would likely represent a continuation of the current papacy.

Cardinal Tagle, serving as the pro-prefect for the section of first evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization and president of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious, is also considered a frontrunner.

He has been called the “”, reflecting his similar, more inclusive views on the LGBTQI community compared to previous popes.

Tagle stated in a 2015 interview that the Church’s “severe” stance on the LGBTQI community, divorcees, and single mothers was detrimental.

According to the , Tagle’s election “would be welcomed by liberals, considering the Church’s changing demographics.”

Several conservative cardinals are also considered leading candidates, including Cardinal Peter Erdo, who has been critical of Pope Francis’ stance on divorce.

Erdo maintains that divorced or remarried Catholics should not be allowed to receive Holy Communion due to his position

The Catholic Herald noted that choosing a conservative pope after Francis would “send a strong message about the Church’s future direction.”

Erdo has also differed from on immigration, arguing in 2015 that allowing refugees to resettle is akin to human trafficking.

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation experiencing war, is another conservative cardinal seen as a serious contender. The Associated Press reports that Catholic Church membership is growing faster in Africa than anywhere else globally.

The 65-year-old Ambongo sparked controversy by rejecting Pope Francis’ blessing of same-sex couples. In a letter co-signed by other African priests, they refused to accept the pontiff’s declaration, deeming such unions “contrary to the will of God.”

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, a Wisconsin native and former archbishop of St. Louis, is the leading American candidate and is also viewed as conservative.

The 76-year-old is a proponent of the Latin Mass and has criticized Pope Francis’ new language concerning artificial contraception, LGBT issues, and civil marriages. Pope Benedict XVI made Burke a cardinal in 2010.

Cardinal Zuppi, born in Rome, is the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference and is considered an insider within Francis’ Vatican, having been the archbishop of Bologna.

The 69-year-old Zuppi is viewed as one of Pope Francis’ favorites. In 2023, he was sent on a peace mission to Ukraine, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and also met with President Joe Biden.

Pope Francis made Zuppi a cardinal in 2019.

Of the Sacred College’s 252 cardinals, only 138 are under 80 and therefore eligible to participate in the conclave, the papal election process, although there are no age restrictions for the candidate to be the future pope.

Following the death of a pope, the conclave votes repeatedly until a candidate wins a two-thirds majority.

The ballots are then burned with a chemical that produces white smoke, signaling to the world that a new pope has been chosen, as opposed to black smoke.