The death of the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has been announced.

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta.

The church had earlier confirmed that the Pope was suffering from “bilateral pneumonia,” affecting both of his lungs.

His death leaves a vacuum in the Vatican that needs to be filled through a process of multiple rounds of voting.

A two-thirds majority is required to conclude the process, which is likely to take up to 20 days for a candidate to be elected as his successor.

Here are five candidates likely to emerge as the new Pope:

Cardinal Parolin

Cardinal Parolin is the Secretary of State of the Vatican and the highest-ranking member of the cardinals. The 70-year-old is known for his diplomatic acumen and approach to theological and political issues. His voice is notable in the call for peaceful solutions to global conflict.

He recently stated, "Everyone can contribute to peace, but solutions must never be pursued through unilateral impositions that risk trampling on the rights of entire peoples."

Cardinal Erdö

Cardinal Erdö, the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, is the eldest of six children. Erdő was raised by devout Catholic parents in a family in which the Faith was “woven into the fabric of our life. The 72-year-old Hungarian is one of the few Catholic authorities to arouse the admiration of his peers and the interest of Catholic observers around the world.

He was once quoted as saying, "We cannot allow the sacraments to be treated with disrespect. Marriage is indissoluble, and the church must protect its sacred teachings."

Cardinal Luis Antonio

Luis Antonio Gokim is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church currently serving as the Pro-Prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization since June 5, 2022, and as the President of Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious since December 8, 2019.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi

Matteo Maria Zuppi is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been Archbishop of Bologna since 12 December 2015. The 69-year-old was previously an auxiliary bishop of Rome from 2012 to 2015. Pope Francis raised him to the rank of cardinal in 2019. He has been president of the Episcopal Conference of Italy since May 2022.

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke

Raymond Leo Burke is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. The 76-year-old is a bishop and a cardinal, and was a patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 2014 to 2023. He led the Archdiocese of St. Louis from 2004 to 2008 and the Diocese of La Crosse from 1995 to 2004.

ASA