Who will be the next pope? Some hints to watch for

Joshua McElwee - Reuters - 10:22
No one knows who the world's Catholic cardinals will choose to succeed Pope Francis as the new leader of the global Catholic Church. But for those watching attentively, there are sometimes hints about who might emerge as the next pontiff.
  • Pope Francis, who died at 88, left no clear successor
  • Cardinals in Rome to elect next pope will be watched closely
  • Francis' funeral will be first big moment to watch for hints
  • Signs will come 'in bits and pieces', says expert
VATICAN CITY, April 23 (Reuters) - No one knows who the world's Catholic cardinals will choose to succeed Pope Francis as the new leader of the global Catholic Church. But for those watching attentively, there are sometimes hints about who might emerge as the next pontiff.
The process to choose a new pope is long and secretive. Most of the world's 252 cardinals are coming to Rome to take part. Those under the age of 80, about 135 prelates, are preparing to enter into a conclave to elect the next pontiff.

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Once it starts, which by Church law should be no earlier than May 6, the cardinals will be completely shut off from the modern world until a new pope is named.
In the meantime, they can attend public events and give interviews about what they are looking for in the next leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
"Reading the pre-conclave signs to identify papal candidates is tricky, because the signs are usually very subtle," said John Thavis, a Vatican correspondent who covered three papacies.
Francis died on Monday aged 88. There is no clear frontrunner to succeed him.
As the pope was recovering from pneumonia over the Easter weekend, he asked retired cardinals over the age of 80 to preside in his place at the Vatican's various celebrations of the holiday, possibly because he did not want to signal any favourite successor.
The pope's funeral, on Saturday, April 26, will be the first big moment to watch for signs of who might be next.
Tens of thousands, including dozens of world leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, are expected in ...
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