Pope Francis stable but critical: Who is likely to succeed him and how does Vatican select a pope?

Pope Francis

Pope Francis remained in critical but stable condition on Wednesday, with his blood parameters remaining stable, the Vatican said. He was admitted to Rome's Gemellli hospital on February 14 after his bronchitis worsened. Doctors have diagnosed pneumonia in both lungs and a complex infection.

With the Pope's health still critical, the focus has shifted to who might lead the Vatican in the future. Choosing the next head is an extremely complex and secret process that can take up to several weeks.

How does Vatican select the new Pope?

If Pope Francis steps down or his health worsens, a papal conclave will be convened in which eligible cardinals will vote for the next Pope.

Since 1379, the Pope has been selected from a College of Cardinals, who cast the vote at the conclave.  According to the rules of the Conclave, there are 138 electors of the 252 cardinals but only those under the age of 80 can take part in the secret ballot which takes place in the Sistine Chapel.

Four rounds of voting are then held for the secret ballot everyday. This continues till a candidate gets a majority of two-thirds of votes. The electoral process usually lasts up to 20 days.

Also read | Pope Francis' doctor says pontiff isn't out of danger but his condition isn't life-threatening

Names of leading candidates:

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi: Considered close to Francis, 69-year-old Zuppi is seen as a spiritual successor, according to Edward Pentin, senior contributor for the National Catholic Register and author of “The Next Pope”.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin: The Vatican’s secretary of state since 2013, Parolin (70) is the highest-ranking cardinal in the conclave, as per a report by The Independent.

Cardinal Peter Turkson: The 76-year-old Ghanian is a liberal by Catholic standards and his views on LGBTQ+ rights are seen as  an attempt to woo liberals. "Homosexuality should not be a criminal offence and people should be helped to understand the issue better," he had earlier said.

Cardinal Peter Erdo: A conservation, Erdo (72) is from Hungary. He was against divorced or remarried Catholics receiving the Holy Communion. Erdo was made a cardinal in 2003 by Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle: Another leading candidate is 67-year-old Tagle. He is the seventh Filipino to become a cardinal. If made Pope, he will become the world's first Asian pontiff.

Pope's current condition

Doctors say pneumonia in such a fragile, elderly patient makes him particularly prone to complications given the difficulty in being able to effectively expel fluid from his lungs. While his heart is strong, Francis isn't a particularly healthy 88-year-old.

He is overweight, isn't physically active, uses a wheelchair because of bad knees, had part of one lung removed as a young man, and has admitted to being a not-terribly-cooperative patient in the past.

With inputs from agencies