The conclave opening May 7, 2025, may mark a turning point in Church history—not just because it will choose the next successor to Pope Francis, but because it reflects a global, diverse Catholic Church in ways never seen before. As the cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel under oath and in total secrecy, the world is watching, wondering: will this conclave finally choose the first modern pope from Asia or Africa?
The reason this conclave matters so much is because it embodies the long-term vision Pope Francis championed—one that reached beyond Europe and embraced what he called “the peripheries.” That vision is now shaping the very process by which his successor will be elected.
According to Vatican News and other sources, the conclave will feature 133 eligible cardinal electors—the highest number ever—far surpassing the 120-limit set by Pope Paul VI in 1975. Even more significant: 108 of those voting cardinals, more than 80%, were appointed by Pope Francis himself. While this doesn’t guarantee a like-minded successor, it does ensure a broader, less Eurocentric pool of voters.
How is this conclave different? For the first time in memory, Europeans make up less than half of the voters, at just 47%. Cardinals from Latin America (18%), Asia and the Pacific (16%), and Africa and the Middle East (14%) are nearly equal in influence to Italy alone, which now accounts for only 14% of the voters. “It has become more exotic,” said Massimo Faggioli, theology professor at Villanova University, who noted that cardinals from “Asia and North Africa… are potential popes.”
And they are. Among the most discussed candidates is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, an ally of Francis and a native of a country with over 85 million Catholics—more than any other in Asia. Also prominent are African cardinals like Peter Turkson of Ghana and Fridolin Ambongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, both known for their deep commitment to social justice. Africa now represents more than 280 million Catholics, about 20% of the global Church, and its voice is growing stronger in papal elections.
This is a conclave filled with firsts: voters from 71 countries, including places that have never sent a cardinal elector before, such as Rwanda, Myanmar, and South Sudan, according to The Washington Post. While Italy still leads in total number of electors (17), followed by the U.S. (10) and Brazil (7), the global makeup of this conclave reflects the Church’s real demographic shift.
The votes, done in secret, will continue until one man receives a two-thirds majority. But whoever emerges as the new pope will carry the hopes of a Church that is broader, younger, and more diverse than ever.
This conclave, born out of centuries-old tradition, might just change the face of the papacy forever.
