Front Burner

Pope watch: who's next up?

Cardinals from around the world are sequestered in Rome this week to choose a successor for the late Pope Francis. Who will they choose, and what would that mean for the future of the Catholic Church?
Men in red religious robes
With 133 cardinals attending, the 2025 papal conclave will be the largest ever. The secretive voting process will result in the selection of the next head of the Catholic Church. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

What's going on behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel this week, as the Catholic Church's cardinals meet in Rome to choose the next pope?

It's a centuries-old tradition, but this time, the college of cardinals is bigger than ever, with a growing contingent from Africa and Asia — many of them attending their first conclave ever. That means lots of different priorities, and of course the lingering question of whether to continue the liberal legacy of the late Francis, or to opt for more stability and traditionality.

Charles Collins is the managing editor of the Crux, an independent publication covering the Catholic Church. He is our guest to break it all down.

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