Pope Francis Death: Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson Among Frontrunners To Become Next Pontiff

• Cardinal Peter Turkson is among front runners to become the next pontiff following the death of Pope Francis
• Turkson was also considered a favourite at one point during the 2013 conclave before Pope Francis was chosen
• The Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis on April 21 after a bout of lung illness

Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson is being considered one of the front runners to become the next pontiff following the death of Pope Francis.

The former Bishop of the Cape Coast would become the first black pope if he is chosen at the upcoming papal conclave.

Turkson was sent by Pope Francis as a peace envoy to South Sudan. He is also the former head of the Pontifical Council for Justice.

Aljazeera noted that Turkson was also considered a favourite at one point during the 2013 conclave before Pope Francis was chosen.

The other African cardinal whose name has come up is the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa.

The other frontrunners are Philippine Cardinal Luis Tagle, Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, Cardinal Pietro Parolin; the Holy See’s secretary of state and Italy’s Matteo Zuppi.

How will the new pope be chosen?

The College of Cardinals, comprised of senior Catholic clergy will elect the next pope.

There are currently more than 240 cardinals worldwide.

Cardinals below the age of 80, when the pope dies or resigns, vote in what is known as the papal conclave.

The conclave locks itself in the Sistine Chapel to avoid external influence and deliberates on potential successors.

The number of papal electors is typically capped at 120, but there are currently 138 eligible voters.

Its members cast their votes via secret ballots, a process overseen by nine randomly selected cardinals.

A two-thirds majority is traditionally required to elect the new pope, and voting continues until this threshold is met.

How long does it take to elect a new pope?

The process to elect a new pope can take weeks depending on how divided the cardinals are.

The winning candidate needs a two-thirds majority. Each day, the conclave can hold up to four rounds of voting to try to achieve the required two-thirds majority.

If, after 33 rounds, there is still no decision, the top two candidates face off in a run-off vote.

The elections of the last three popes have been relatively quick, with each lasting only several days.

But historically, elections have sometimes dragged on much longer, with the papal conclave that elected Pope Gregory X in 1271 taking nearly three years due to fierce political wrangling.

Pope Francis passes on aged 88

YEN.com.gh reported that the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement released by the Vatican. Pope Francis had been suffering from chronic lung disease, which prompted an outpouring of support from people worldwide.

A formal confirmation of his death is expected to take place in the chapel, in line with new guidelines.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh