Each day between now and the May 7 conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis, we are running a profile of a different “papabile”, the Italian term for a man who could be pope. There’s no precise way to identity these contenders; it’s mostly a matter of weighing reputations, positions held and influence wielded over the years. There’s also certainly no guarantee one of these candidates will emerge wearing white; as an old bit of Roman wisdom has it, “He who enters a conclave as a pope exits as a cardinal.” But these profiles will feature the leading names drawing buzz in Rome right now, at least making it very likely that they will get a look. Knowing who these men are also suggests issues and qualities other cardinals see as desirable heading into the election.
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Papabile of the Day: Cardinal 'Chito' Tagle has charisma but overall ability questioned
Each day between now and the May 7 conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis, we are running a profile of a different “papabile”, the Italian term for a man who could be pope.
John L Allen

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