As Pope Francis' health declines, questions arise on who will be elected the next most powerful Catholic in the world; here's the list of probable

Pope Francis is currently the most powerful Catholic in the world in the position of the oldest pope in a century, but there are already thoughts about his successor due to his declining health. Currently, Pope Francis is aged 88 years and he has now developed pneumonia in his lungs and is currently hospitalized while he battles the infection, as per sources from the Vatican.

He was diagnosed with double pneumonia on Tuesday and will remain in the hospital for the coming days until he recovers fully. According to the NY Post report, Pope Francis' successor is being searched for and there are some probable in this list.

List of probable successors of Pope Francis

One of the biggest front runners for the top Catholic Church position is Cardinal Pietro Parolin from Italy, who has served in Pope Francis’ Vatican for 11 years. He is currently aged 70 years and is the Vatican’s secretary of state.


Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is another big contender for this position. He is currently the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.

Then comes Cardinal Peter Erdo, who is the former president of the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe, and based in Hungary, who is also one of the leading candidates to replace Pope Francis as a successor.

FAQs:

How old is Pope Francis?
The current age of Pope Francis is 88.

Is Pope Francis currently hospitalized?
Pope Francis is currently hospitalized due to contracting pneumonia.