On May 8, 2025, white smoke rose from the Vatican chimney, announcing that a new pope had been appointed. Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost, was chosen after a brief conclave, shocking viewers worldwide.

On April 21, 2025, the leader of the Catholic church, Pope Francis, died at the age of 88. This marked the first death while in the papal position since the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005. This has raised global interest in interest in the funeral, the papal conclave process, the choosing of Pope Leo XIV and other candidates, and what his death will mean on a geopolitical scale. 

Our new pope

Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost, is the newly elected leader of the Catholic church. He made history as the first pope hailing from both Peru and the United States, holding dual citizenship in both countries. 

While Pope Leo XIV’s views are less progressive than popular pick Luis Tagle, he is still fairly liberal leaning, having publicly denounced the Trump Administration on X. He is much less progressive than Francis on topics such as the LGBTQ+ community and abortion. 

While originally against the ordination of women into the priesthood, his views seemed to have changed. After Francis’ addition of three women to the Dicastery of Bishops, he commented to Vatican News “We have seen that their point of view is an enrichment … Often their perspective coincides perfectly with what the other members of the dicastery say; while at other times, their opinion introduces another perspective and becomes an important contribution to the process.”

Funeral proceedings

The papal funeral proceedings are detailed in an over 400-page tome titled the “Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis,” which details everything that should be done for the burial and pre-burial rituals. There are also instructions for prayers and suggestions for the ideal response of the church. 

The pope’s death was grieved by many high-profile individuals, including Hillary Clinton, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio and President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum, all of whom released public statements regarding his death. Numerous world leaders, including President Donald Trump, Vlodymyr Zelensky, and Claudia Sheinbaum were in attendance.

Until Pope Leo XIV assumed the papal position, the Vatican was overseen by Camerlengo or Cardinal Chamberlain Kevin Farrell, who announced the pope’s death early on  April 21. As Camerlengo, Farrell is responsible for managing the day-to-day processes at the Vatican. He oversaw matters at the Vatican until the papal conclave, which took place on May 7th.

The papal conclave process

A papal conclave is when a group of cardinals joins together in a secluded meeting to elect the new pope. These meetings can take anywhere from a couple hours to several months, depending on the outcome of the conclave. They vote by a secret ballot system, usually about four times each day until they reach a consensus. Once the voting is finished, these ballots are then folded and burned, the smoke represents the outcome of the voting. White smoke means a new pope was elected, while black smoke means they are unsure. After the death of Pope Francis, the next papal conclave is expected to happen on May 6, 2025. 

Top papal candidates before Pope Leo XIV was chosen

While Pope Leo XIV has been chosen as the next pope, there were a few candidates in the running before him.

• Cardinal Peter Turkson, Ghana
  • The 76-year-old is one of the most popular candidates. If Turkson succeeds Francis in the papal position, he would make history as the first African pope in over a thousand years. While Turkson has stated a lack of interest in the papal position, telling the BBC he “prayed against” the possibility,  his extensive media presence and his association with the Vatican and the Catholic church leftt him as a popular choice. 
• Cardinal Luis Tagle, Philippines
  • Often referred to as the “Asian Francis,” Tagle has many similar views and policies to his potential predecessor, including his more open-minded views on the LGBTQ+ community and immigration. If elected, the Filipino Tagle would have made history as the first Asian pope. This would serve as an intelligent choice for the church, due to the steady spread of Catholicism throughout Asia. 
  • However, Tagle drew controversy after he, along with the rest of the leadership of Carnitas Internationalis, was fired by Pope Francis, following accusations of bullying from employees. While Tagle underplayed the moment, saying he was “facing our failures,” it’s likely this moment played a part in his failure to assume the papal position.
• Cardinal Joseph Tobin, United States
  • Known for his liberal policies and his openness to the LGBTQ+ community, Tobin has experience leading Catholic groups as the former leader of the Redemptorists. Like Tagle, he’s been surrounded by scandal after the removal of his predecessor, former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. After allegations of McCarrick’s sexual assault of seminarians surfaced, he was removed from his position as Cardinal. However, Tobin’s response to the scandal was much better received than Tagle’s. He has served both in the Vatican and in top positions in the U.S. church. 
• Cardinal Robert Sarah, Ghana
  • Famously regarded as “Anti-Woke,” the heavily conservative Ghanaian cardinal has become the darling of conservative Christians. His conservative beliefs would massively impact the Catholic church, after Francis’ liberal outlook shifted public views on issues like the LGBTQ+ community. Sarah is a major detractor of “Western secularism,” meaning euthanasia, abortion, and gender ideology. In a pushback against Pope Francis, he, as well as numerous other African bishops, rejected Francis’ approval of blessings for same-sex couples. 
  • He is also intolerant of Islamic Fundamentalism, calling it an “apocalyptic beast.” Despite his popularity on social media, he was not a likely candidate for the papal position –  however, if he were elected, he could reverse all the changes made by Francis before his death.
• Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Italy
  • Having served as the Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013, Pietro Parolin was close to Francis up until his passing. He is regarded as reliable and faithful.. He has previously demonstrated acts of stability by involving himself in negotiations with nations such as China. Parolin is known for being more liberal compared to some other cardinals, speaking out against things such as the church’s negativity towards the LGBTQ+ community, remarriage, and having children before marriage. All of these things improved his popularity in the election, particularly among younger Catholics. 

Global impact

Pope Francis made history as one of the most progressive popes,  unlike his predecessors, Pope Benedict XIV and Pope John Paul II. While candidates like Tagle maintain similar beliefs, other candidates, such as Sarah, are much more conservative. On a global scale, the political ideology and beliefs held by the pope often have large global impact. Ultimately, as Catholicism has over a billion active practitioners, the election of Pope Leo XIV will change things on a geopolitical level.