As the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, attention is quietly turning toward the future leadership of the Catholic Church. According to Vatican observers and bookmakers, several prominent cardinals have emerged as the most likely candidates to become the next Pope. Each brings a distinct background, theological perspective and leadership style to the table.

The world mourns for Pope Francis at his ‘transitus’, to use a word that is both rich in meaning and familiar to the Church and the Franciscan spiritual tradition to describe one’s passing.