Who is Cardinal Pietro Parolin? All you need to know about the leader of the papal conclave

Cardinal Pietro Parolin is the leader of the 2025 papal conclave, which will elect the next pope after the passing of Pope Francis. The papal conclave has reportedly begun on May 7. During this process, 133 cardinals have come to the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City to choose the future pope.

The process began with the cardinals casting their first votes on May 7. However, no candidate received the required two-thirds majority, which resulted in black smoke from the chapel’s chimney. This signaled to the people that the new pope had not yet been elected. The voting will go on until a candidate gets the majority of the votes (89 votes are mandatory).

As the senior cardinal-bishop, Cardinal Pietro Parolin will oversee the voting in the Sistine Chapel, ensuring the secrecy oaths are taken properly. Born in 1955, Pietro Parolin is currently 70 years old and has served as the Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013 under Pope Francis. Along with being the leader, he also holds a potential chance of becoming the next pope.

More details about Cardinal Pietro Parolin

Pietro Parolin was born in Schiavon. He studied canon law and diplomacy. After studies, he joined the Holy See’s diplomatic service at 31 and was also involved in securing diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Mexico.

On 31 August 2013, Parolin was appointed as Secretary of State by Pope Francis. At the age of 85, he became the youngest to hold the position since 1929. Parolin was later appointed to the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. A year later, he took the position of a cardinal.

Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the Sant’Egidio Community, acknowledged the cardinal by saying:

"The only candidate that for now has emerged with a certain insistence is Parolin."

Cardinal Parolin is said to be reliable and capable, appealing to cardinals who want stability. The cardinal also talked about the Ukraine-Russia war by adding:

"Even though the signals are not positive, a negotiation is always possible and desirable for anyone who rightly values the sacredness of human life. Negotiating is not a sign of weakness but of courage. The path of "honest negotiations" and "honorable compromises"—referring here to the words of Pope Francis during his recent trip to Luxembourg and Belgium—is the main road that should be followed by those who hold the destinies of peoples in their hands."

While some have criticized his views on same-s*x marriage, most church leaders don't have strong opinions about him.

The last Italian to become pope was John Paul I. If Cardinal Pietro Parolin becomes the next pope, he would be the first native Italian pope in forty-seven years.

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