Those shortlisted to be next Pope: Roman Catholic orthodoxy vs. globalist woke

The funeral of Pope Francis is on Saturday, in front of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. He died of a stroke, followed by heart failure on Easter Monday. He was 88. Preparations have already begun for the conclave—the process of electing the next pope by the College of Cardinals. The conclave must begin 15 to 20 days after a Pope’s death. Out of the total of 252 current cardinals, 135 actually meet the cutoff age of 80 to select the next Pope.

Of those 135, a total of 108 were directly appointed by Francis, with the remainder named by the late Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II.

A concerning number.

An anything-goes, woke doctrine doesn’t jibe with Church tradition and biblical values — upon which Roman Catholicism (and the doctrines of other Christian traditions) is based, or should be.

Pope Francis was, in the view of many, involved in an advanced process of eradicating Roman Catholic tradition to replace it with woke religion. Read more HERE.

Below is the Guardian’s shortlist of who is favored to be next pope.

This list gives a snapshot:

Conservative traditionalist – 72-year-old Péter Erdő (Hungary)

Leading Conservative candidate and pro-church orthodoxy. He aligns with Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán.

Conservative traditionalist – 79 year-old Robert Sarah (Guinea-Sub Saharan Africa)

We covered Sarah HERE on Jihad Watch in 2019: In direct contradiction to his boss, Pope Francis, Cardinal Sarah issued a warning about Muslim migration and the subsequent destruction of open-door Europe. Sarah declared that “it is a false exegesis [interpretation of scriptural text] to use the Word of God to promote migration. God never wanted these rifts.” Cardinal Sarah has also denounced woke gender ideology.

Unpredictable 76-year-old Peter Turkson (Ghana)

Although into “climate crisis, poverty and economic justice,” Turkson believes in the biblical view that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Unpredictable 60-year-old Pierbattista Pizzaballa, (Italy and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem)

Advocates for Christians in the Middle East. He generally towed the line with Pope Francis. Pizzaballa said that “his creation as cardinal has raised the ‘voice of Jerusalem’ within the Church and on the international stage.’”

Unpredictable diplomat, modernist, pragmatist – 70-year-old Cardinal Pietro Parolin (Italy)

Conservative on some issues, such as opposing gay marriage. Some perceive him as soft on China. He backed a controversial deal with Communist China on episcopal appointments. He’s more of a diplomat with astute political interests, less focused on faith.

Unpredictable 68-year-old Mario Grech (Malta)

He was once a conservative, but became more woke during Pope Francis’ reign. His supporters see it as flexibility. But he could be also viewed as a weak follower.

Woke 59-year-old José Tolentino Calaça de Mendonça (Portugal)

He’s a woke “feminist,” advocates for same-sex unions and believes that the Church should change with the times. He deems all this to be “engagement with modern culture.”

Woke, globalist – 69-year-old Matteo Zuppi, Italy

He’s “widely regarded as a member of the progressive wing of the Church.” He’ll continue the legacy of Pope Francis.

Woke, globalist – 67-year-old Luis Tagle (Philippines)

Dubbed “the Asian Francis.” Enough said.

When the new pope has been chosen, white smoke appears from the Chapel chimney. Within an hour, the new pope appears on the balcony over St. Peter’s Square.

“Who will be the next pope? Some potential candidates to succeed Francis,” by Harriet Sherwood, Guardian, April 21, 2025:

Predicting the outcome of the highly secretive papal conclave is near impossible as cardinals’ positions shift over successive votes and some try to game the system to influence the chances of their favoured – or least-favoured – candidates. In the last conclave in 2013, few predicted that Jorge Mario Bergoglio would be elected as Pope Francis. At the moment, speculation is focusing on these men to succeed him:

Pietro Parolin, 70, Italy

Seen as a moderate “continuity candidate”, Parolin was close to Francis. He has been the Vatican’s secretary of state since 2013, playing a key role in diplomatic affairs, including delicate negotiations with China and governments in the Middle East. He is regarded as a reliable and trusted papal representative by secular diplomats. In 2018, he was the driving force behind a controversial agreement with the Chinese government on the appointment of bishops, criticised by some as a sellout to the communist regime. Parolin’s critics see him as a modernist and a pragmatist who places ideology and diplomatic solutions above hard truths of the faith. To his supporters, he is a courageous idealist and avid proponent of peace.

Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, the Philippines

Tagle, a former archbishop of Manila, would be the first Asian pope, the region with the fastest-growing Catholic population. At one time he was considered to be Francis’s preferred successor and a strong contender to continue the late pope’s progressive agenda, but recently appears to have fallen out of favour. He has suggested that the Catholic church’s stance on gay and divorced couples is too harsh, but has opposed abortion rights in the Philippines.

Peter Turkson, 76, Ghana…