Secret Ballot Elects Candidate with Two-Thirds Majority
Cardinal You Emerges as Leading Asian Contender
With the passing of Pope Francis on April 21 (local time), a conclave?a secret meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope?is expected to be held next month to select his successor. Following the first pope from the Americas, there is growing global interest in whether the next pope will be a non-white leader from Asia or Africa. Among Koreans, Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik (pictured) holds both voting rights and eligibility to be elected, drawing attention as a potential candidate for the next pope.
According to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea on April 22, the election of the next pope will take place after a 15-day mourning period following the pope's passing. Based on the apostolic constitution announced by Pope John Paul II in 1996 and partially revised by Benedict XVI, only cardinals under the age of 80 as of the day before the papal seat (Apostolic See) becomes vacant due to the pope's death or resignation are granted voting rights.
The conclave does not designate specific candidates in advance; instead, cardinals from around the world write the name of the person they consider most suitable on the ballot. The candidate who receives more than two-thirds of the votes in a secret ballot is elected, and if the winner accepts the position, he is inaugurated as the new pope. Born in 1951 and currently 73 years old, Cardinal You is eligible both to vote and to be elected in the conclave. In contrast, Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, born in 1943 and now 81 years old, does not have voting rights due to the age limit. This will be the first time in approximately 47 years that a Korean cardinal participates in a conclave since the election of Pope John Paul II in October 1978, when Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (1922?2009) took part.
Since individuals who command high respect often receive votes in the conclave, some analysts believe that the atmosphere is favorable for Cardinal You, who has served as Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy since June 2021. His close work alongside Pope Francis has allowed him to build strong networks, and his fluency in Italian is also considered a significant advantage for effective communication.
Of course, the fact that most cardinals are from Europe and that Asian cardinals are in the minority is a disadvantage. Nevertheless, Cardinal You is still regarded as one of the most prominent candidates from Asia. The College of Cardinals Report, a website run by Catholic journalists and researchers, selected and introduced 41 key figures related to the next papal election, including Cardinal You as one of them.
Other leading candidates identified by foreign media include Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State from Italy, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines. Cardinal Parolin has accumulated extensive bureaucratic experience as Secretary of State since 2013, while Cardinal Tagle is noted for his reformist stance and for being from Asia. Of the 138 cardinals currently eligible to vote, 110 were appointed during Pope Francis's tenure, raising the possibility that votes may be concentrated on reform-minded candidates.
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