As a news and lifestyle magazine, we admit we're a little biased, but there is something to be said about how much Vatican reporters know (and learn) about the Church. It's their job to be on top of all things Vatican, and they get paid to spend at least 40 hours a week paying attention to Church events -- both official and unofficial. (And in some seasons, such as at the death of a pope, they spend well over 40 hours on this labor!)
While Vatican reporters have no more insight than anyone else into how the Holy Spirit might surprise us, their outlook is still interesting. Add in that they come from all over the globe, and publish for audiences from all over, and you have the makings for some fascinating lists.
I.MEDIA has compiled a list of 13 lists of papabili published by the vaticanisti:
The order of the names is not significant, and the methods vary depending on the list: Some focus on cardinals likely to influence the election, others on those who meet the criteria expected of a future pope.
Among the names mentioned most frequently are those of Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. Next comes Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, chosen 11 times (out of 13 lists we are sharing).
Other cardinals are frequently mentioned: Archbishop Matteo Zuppi of Bologna (10 times), Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa of Jerusalem (9), Archbishop Fridolin Ambongo of Kinshasa (8), and Archbishop Anders Arborelius of Stockholm (7).
And from the United States, Robert Francis Prevost also comes up 7 times.
Learn about Cardinal Prevost here.
In total, 36 names – out of 135 cardinal electors – appear on these lists.
Take a look:
Gian Guido Vecchi, Corriere della Sera
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Matteo Zuppi – Italy
Pierbattista Pizzaballa – Italy (Holy Land)
Fridolin Ambongo – DRC
Blase Cupich – United States
Joseph Tobin – United States
Péter Erdö – Hungary
Anders Arborelius – Sweden
Jean-Marc Aveline – France
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Lazarus You Heung-sik – South Korea
Juan José Omella Omella – Spain
Franca Giansoldati, Il Messaggero
Cristobal Lopez Romero – Morocco
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Robert Sarah – Guinea
Mario Grech – Malta
Fridolin Ambongo – DRC
Jean-Claude Hollerich – Luxembourg
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Anders Arborelius – Sweden
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Matteo Zuppi – Italy
Péter Erdö – Hungary
Peter Turkson – Ghana
Pierbattista Pizzaballa – Italy (Holy Land)
Jean-Marc Aveline – France
Fernando Filoni – Italy
Robert Francis Prevost – United States
Iacopo Scaramuzzi, La Repubblica
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Robert Francis Prevost – United States
Angel Fernández Artime – Spain
Péter Erdö – Hungary
Anders Arborelius – Sweden
Malcolm Ranjith – Sri Lanka
Matteo Maria Zuppi – Italy
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Jean-Marc Aveline – France
Mario Grech – Malta
José Tolentino de Mendonça – Portugal
Jean-Claude Hollerich – Luxembourg
Pierbattista Pizzaballa – Italy (Holy Land)
Fridolin Ambongo – DRC
Cristobal Lopez Romero – Spain
Jean-Marie Guénois, Le Figaro
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Matteo Zuppi – Italy
Fernando Filoni – Italy
Pierbattista Pizzaballa – Italy (Holy Land)
Jean-Marc Aveline – France
Péter Erdö – Hungary
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Anders Arborelius – Sweden
Fridolin Ambongo – DRC
Robert Francis Prevost – United States
Willem Jacobus Eijk – Netherlands
José Tolentino de Mendonça – Portugal
Francesco Antonio Grana, Il Fatto Quotidiano
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Claudio Gugerotti – Italy
Robert Francis Prevost – United States
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Ángel Fernández Artime – Spain
Fernando Filoni – Italy
Matteo Maria Zuppi – Italy
Pierbattista Pizzaballa – Italy (Holy Land)
Cristóbal López Romero – Morocco
Péter Erdő – Hungary
Willem Jacobus Eijk – Netherlands
Anders Arborelius – Sweden
Timothy Michael Dolan – United States
Blase Joseph Cupich – United States
Fridolin Ambongo Besungu – DRC
Javier Martinez-Brocal, ABC (these are not papabili but cardinals thought to have the ability to influence the conclave)
Christoph Schönborn – Austria (non-voter)
Jean-Claude Hollerich – Luxembourg
Juan José Omella Omella – Spain
Lazarus You Heung-sik – South Korea
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Fridolin Ambongo – DRC
Gerhardt Ludwig Müller – Germany
Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga – Honduras (non-voter)
Mikael Corre, La Croix -- This list has been compiled differently from the others, based on five criteria: age and health; ability to have a global pastoral vision; reputation; spiritual or theological qualities; and leadership ability.
Carlos Aguiar Retes – Mexico
Blase Cupich – United States
Pablo Virgilio David – Philippines
Sérgio da Rocha – Brazil
Péter Erdő – Hungary
Mario Grech – Malta
Claudio Gugerotti – Italy
Kurt Koch – Switzerland
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Marcello Semeraro – Italy
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Lazarus You Heung-sik – South Korea
Matteo Maria Zuppi – Italy
Joshua McElwee and Philip Pullella – Reuters
Jean-Marc Aveline – France
Peter Erdö – Hungary
Matteo Maria Zuppi – Italy
Peter Turkson – Ghana
Joseph Tobin – United States
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Juan Jose Omella Omella – Spain
Mario Grech – Malta
John Allen, Crux -- This list is incomplete, as the American Vaticanist is publishing just one profile per day.
Jean-Marc Aveline – France
Pierbattista Pizzaballa – Italy (Holy Land)
Fridolin Ambongo – DRC
Péter Erdö – Hungary
Matteo Zuppi – Italy
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Robert Francis Prevost - United States
Claire Giangrave, Religion News Service
Péter Erdö – Hungary
Malcolm Ranjith – Sri Lanka
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Anders Arborelius – Sweden
Matteo Zuppi – Italy
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Konrad Krajewski – Poland
Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Pierbattista Pizzaballa – Italy (Holy Land)
Péter Erdö – Hungary
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Gérald Cyprien Lacroix – Canada
Robert Francis Prevost – United States
Mario Grech – Malta
Hendro Munsterman – Nederlands Dagblad -- the journalist proposes a list of favorites and a list of outsiders
Robert Francis Prevost – United States
Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão – India
Mario Grech – Malta
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Stephen Brislin – South Africa
Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi – Japan
Cristóbal López Romero – Morocco
Anders Arborelius – Sweden
Jean-Marc Aveline – France
Pierbattista Pizzaballa – Italy (Holy Land)
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Marie-Lucile Kubacki – La Vie
Pietro Parolin – Italy
Pierbattista Pizzaballa – Italy
Claudio Guggerotti – Italy
Péter Erdö – Hungary
Juan Josep Omella Omella – Spain
Willem Jacobus Eijk – Netherlands
Jean-Marc Aveline – France
Luis Antonio Tagle – Philippines
Matteo Zuppi – Italy
Fridolin Ambongo – DRC
