Overview

• Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, prompting the Vatican conclave to select his successor.
• German cardinals Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Reinhard Marx, and Rainer Maria Woelki are participating in the conclave but are not considered likely papal candidates (papabile).
• Cardinal Müller, a prominent conservative, has openly criticized Pope Francis’s reformist stances, including his 2023 document on blessing same-sex couples.
• Cardinal Woelki faced significant backlash over his handling of sexual abuse cases in Cologne, which led to over 130,000 church departures between 2021 and 2023.
• Cardinal Marx, once close to Pope Francis and a key advisor, has seen his influence wane following criticism of his abuse-case management and his removal from the papal council in 2023.