Who are the main contenders to be the next pope? | Religion News

Cardinals from around the world will meet this week to formally begin selecting the next pope in a secret ballot after the late Pope Francis‘s funeral on April 26. The vote itself will take place behind the sealed doors of the Sistine Chapel sometime after May 7.

Selecting the next leader of the Catholic Church is a momentous and highly anticipated task. The church counts some 1.4 billion baptised Roman Catholics around the world as members.

Elections in the Vatican are not immune to…