Catholic faithful gathered for a Mass led by Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City in February 2025. Guesses about who will be the next Roman Catholic pope often prove inaccurate. Before the selection of Pope Francis in 2013, many bookmakers had not even counted him among the front-runners. This time, predictions are further complicated because Francis made many appointments in a relatively short amount of time during his tenure, diversifying the College of Cardinals and making it harder to identify movements and factions within the group. Still, discussion of potential names began long ago behind the Vatican’s...