WITH the conclave set to gather to choose the next pope, all eyes turn to the Vatican.

Cardinals from across the world have arrived in the holy city ahead of the historic event, which will begin on Wednesday.

The ritual of electing a new pope is now ready to begin as the mourning period for the late Pope Francis draws to a close.

And preparations for the event are already underway as cardinals and visitors arrive in the holy city.

The democratic process sees multiple rounds of voting by cardinals under the age of 80 who make up the conclave.

This continues until a clear successor is chosen by consensus.

For a pope to be elected they must get two-thirds of the vote – and each cardinal’s vote has equal value.

All cardinals across the world are called to Rome for the conclave, with 133 out of the current 252 set to attend.

Here are some of the front-runners:

CARDINAL PIETRO PAROLIN

Italian Parolin, 70, is currently the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and is now considered the main candidate in the running to become the next pope.

He treads the middle ground on most political questions facing the Church, and has spent years abroad in Nigeria and Mexico as a diplomat.

Parolin would be seen as an extension of Francis’s legacy.

CARDINAL PETER ERDO

Erdo, 72, is a former President of the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe – a group of 33 leading Bishops from the continent.

The Hungarian is a devout Marian, which means he directs his religious practices towards Mary, mother of Jesus.

He is the leading candidate from the Conservative faction within the church, and it is believed he could pose a significant challenge to Cardinal Parolin during the initial phase of the conclave.

Erdo is a staunch Conservative, and opposes divorced or remarried Catholics partaking in Holy Communion.

He has made some controversial claims in his time, including likening taking in refugees to human trafficking.

The distinguished cardinal is fluent in Hungarian, English, Italian, French and Latin.

CARDINAL LUIS TAGLE

Tagle, 67, has been dubbed the “Asian Pope Francis”, because his views largely align with the late Pontiff.

He has criticised the Church’s “severe” stance on gay people, divorcees and single mothers.

Tagle is the seventh cardinal ever from the Philippines and, if picked, would become the first Asian Pope.

Although he was once seen as a frontrunner, there are now substantial doubts regarding his level of support among his fellow cardinals.

CARDINAL JEAN-MARC AVELINE

Aveline, 66 is the Archbishop of Marseille and, if elected, would make history as the first French pope since Gregory XI died in 1378.

He strongly agreed with Francis’ stance on migrants, speaking out on avoiding “criminalisation of immigrants as the cause of all evil”.

Aveline has also worked hard to promote dialogue with Islam and Judaism, setting up an Institute of Science and Theology of Religions in Marseille.

The cardinal was thought to be close to Francis as the Pope visited him in Marseille two years ago.

But while he speaks Arabic, he does not speak fluent Italian which could count against him.

CARDINAL PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA

Pizzaballa, 60, is one of the youngest cardinals in the running to become the next pope.

Ordained in Italy when he was 25, the cardinal immediately moved to Jerusalem where he has lived there ever since.

Pope Francis appointed him as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem five years ago and subsequently made him a cardinal. Pizzaballa has referred to the city as “the heart of the life of this world”.

Fellow cardinals will have been impressed by his deep understanding of Israelis and Palestinians amid the ongoing war in the region.

CARDINAL MATTEO ZUPPI

Italian Cardinal Zuppi, 69, is known to have been a favourite of the late Pope Francis, who in 2023 asked him to carry out a mission to bring peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Zuppi met with Zelenksy, but not Putin – and later in the year flew to the US to meet President Biden.

He has been the president of the Episcopal Conference of Italy since May 2022.

The cardinal holds much more progressive views than many of his peers, writing in book in 2018 that the Church should seek dialogue and understanding with “our LGBT brothers and sisters”.

CARDINAL FRIDOLIN AMBONGO BESUNGU

Besungu, 65, is a Congolese cardinal who has publicly clashed with Francis in the past.

He rejected a decree from Francis that the church should give its blessing to homosexual couples, arguing it “cannot be carried out in Africa without [Christians] exposing themselves to scandals”.

He effectively declared the doctrine, called Fiducia supplicans, null and void on the African continent.

If Besungu – the youngest of the front-runners – was elected as Pope, his leadership would likely force a U-turn on much of Francis’s work.

CARDINAL MARIO GRECH

Grech, 67, from Malta, is considered a moderate voice within the Church.

He has spoken about the importance of reaching out to communities that feel rejected by the Church due to the sexuality or marriage status.

He was elevated to the position of cardinal by Pope Francis in 2020.

CARDINAL RAYMOND BURKE

Burke, 76, is another unwavering conservative, who believes strongly in the traditions of Latin Mass.

Hailing from Wisconsin, USA, Burke doesn’t believe that people who have divorced and remarried should be allowed to receive Holy Communion.

He also branded as “objectionable” the Church’s reformed approach to gay people, civil marriages and contraception.