They said the prognosis remains “reserved,” indicating a cautious outlook as medical teams continue to stabilize his condition.
Francis required an administration of oxygen and a blood transfusion on Saturday morning, according to the statement. The pope spent the day “alert” and sitting in an armchair, “although in more pain than yesterday”.
If he doesn’t recover & passes on, those of you who saw the movie Conclave know how this goes. The rules of the conclave, as of January 2025, stated there are 138 electors of the 252 cardinals. Only those under the age of 80 may take part in the secret ballot in the Sistine Chapel. They can excuse themselves only on account of health issues.
There will be four rounds of voting every day until a candidate receives a major two-thirds of the vote, in a process that typically lasts 15 to 20 days.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, Italy
The Vatican’s secretary of state and has become the favorite among bookmakers since last November. Parolin is considered a moderate politically & would be considered an extension of the legacy of Francis
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, Democratic Republic of the Congo
President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar the conservative Capuchin declared the doctrine which allowed priests to bless unmarried and same-sex couples null and void on the African continent. Besungu was able to achieve explicit blessing from Pope Francis in an emergency meeting in 2023 shortly after the release of that teaching.
Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, Hungary
Former president of the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe and a devout Marian (devoted to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus), Erdo is a Conservative who has previously opposed the practice of divorced or remarried Catholics receiving Holy Communion due to the doctrinal belief in the insolubility of marriage.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, Philippines
The pro-prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization and as president of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious.
Tagle — called the “Asian Pope Francis” — is considered left-leaning and has been critical of the Church’s treatment of LGBT people and divorced and remarried Catholics. In a 2015 interview, he said the Church’s “severe” stance on gay people, divorcees and single mothers has done harm to its goal of evangelizing. Some sources say that his relatively young age may be a mark against him.
Pietro Parolin 4/1 20.0%
Luis Antonio Tagle 9/2 18.2%
Peter Turkson 6/1 14.3%
Peter Erdo 7/1 12.5%
Angelo Scola 8/111.1%
Francis 6/4 40.0%
Benedict 3/1 25.0%
John Paul 5/1 16.7%
Leo 8/1 11.1%
John 12/1 7.7%
Sources; NBC news, NY Post (apologies for that, could not find a good source with names & bios), Online Betting Guide
