Parolin: from rising star to falling one
The day after Pope Francis’ funeral, Cardinal Pietro Parolin stood before a crowd of over 200,000 young people in St. Peter’s Square, delivering a solemn Mass that urged the Church to preserve the late pontiff’s legacy of mercy.
“Our affection for him must not remain a fleeting emotion,” Parolin declared. “We must embrace his legacy and make it part of our lives, opening ourselves to God’s mercy and showing mercy to one another.”
It sounded like a campaign speech. After all, Parolin is widely seen as one of the top contenders in the race for the papacy. But if this was a moment to shine, the result was lukewarm at best.
According to sources within the College of Cardinals, currently gathered in Rome for the general congregations, Parolin failed to convince. His rigid tone and lack of connection with the audience only served to remind many of the irreplaceable charisma and warmth of Francis.
One cardinal-elector reportedly remarked that the Mass highlighted exactly what Parolin lacks: the ability to speak to the hearts of the people.
Out of 252 cardinals, only 135 are eligible to vote in the May 7 conclave—those under the age of 80 at the time of the pope’s death. And among them, doubts are growing about the viability of the 70-year-old Italian’s candidacy.
His strongest supporters are found within the Roman Curia, where he’s been dubbed “Francis, but quieter.” But the notion of Parolin as a continuity candidate doesn’t convince everyone.
As journalist Elisabetta Piqué wrote on April 30 in Argentina’s La Nación, the relationship between Parolin and Francis cooled significantly over the years. Although appointed Secretary of State in 2013 and recalled from his diplomatic post in Venezuela, Parolin was gradually sidelined.
In the final stretch of Francis’ pontificate, he was notably left out of leading Holy Week liturgies—an exclusion that did not go unnoticed in a Church focused on succession.
And therein lies the dilemma: as Parolin’s star fades, no clear alternative has yet emerged.
At Francis’ funeral Mass on April 26, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re strongly upheld the late pope’s priorities—but failed to mention synodality, the very vision Francis tried to cement as a foundational principle of Church governance.
Yet synodality might well be the key issue shaping this conclave. Before his death, Francis approved a roadmap extending the synodal process through 2028, entrusting it to the next generation of Church leaders.
Behind closed doors, the push to carry on that legacy is reportedly coming from younger cardinals—many of whom took part in the 2023 and 2024 synods. Over a third of the eligible voters were present in those assemblies.
Parolin: from rising star to falling one
Whether they will tip the scales in the coming days remains to be seen.
At a Vatican briefing on April 30, officials reported that the morning’s general congregation also included a financial overview of the Holy See. A total of 181 cardinals were present, including 124 electors. Fourteen delivered interventions on themes ranging from synodality to the Second Vatican Council, polarization, and evangelization.
Italian version here