CBCP: There are no frontrunners in upcoming papal elections

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Sunday clarified that unlike claims of the many, there are no actual top contenders among cardinals who will go into the conclave to choose the next pope following the death of Pope Francis. 

CBCP spokesperson Fr. Jerome Secillano explained that anyone of the 135 cardinals eligible to enter the conclave can be successor of the late pontiff, as long as they get two-thirds of the vote.

“Palagay ko, sa gagawin nilang general congregation sa pagtalakay nga ng mga isyu, doon nila unit unting makikita kung sino 'yung mga dapat nilang iboto. So wala diyan 'yung pagkakampanya, wala diyan 'yung tipong frontrunner siya,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. 

(In my opinion, I think the cardinals will gradually see who they should vote for during their general congregations. In there, there will be no campaigning, there are no frontrunners.) 

“Ang frontrunner kasi gawain ng media ‘yan, public perception ‘yan. Pero sa kahuli-hulihan, ang tingin ng mga cardinal electors ang magma-matter kasi sila ‘yung kumbaga magdedesisyon talaga kung sino ang dapat maging Santo Papa,” he added. 

(The idea of a frontrunner was done by the media, that's public perception. But in the end, it’s the opinion of the cardinal electors that will matter because they're the ones who will really decide who should be the next pope.)

Three Filipino cardinals are currently eligible to take part in the general congregation of cardinals, namely: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, and Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David. 

David previously said that all cardinals who will be participating in the conclave can be chosen by the Holy Spirit to be the next Pope, even one who is less famous, just like Pope Francis before.

Now that Pope Francis has been buried, Secillano said there will first be the Novemdiales, a nine-day long mourning period.

After this, cardinals who are under the age of 80 will convene at the Sistine chapel where the secretive process of selecting the new pope will take place, known as the conclave.

Smoke from the chimney will serve as the sign of the outcome of the votes cast by the cardinals—-a black smoke would indicate that there was no pope elected, and a white smoke is a symbol that a new pope has been chosen. 

Pope Francis died on Monday, April 21, due to a stroke and irreversible heart failure. —RF, GMA Integrated News