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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Lifestyle
Al Jazeera Staff

Who will be the next pope after Francis? The selection process, what’s next

A candle with an image of Pope Francis lies near the statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli Hospital, where Pope Francis received treatment, in Rome, Italy, February 19, 2025 [Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters]

Pope Francis died on Monday morning, the Vatican announced, days after he was discharged from hospital after undergoing treatment for a complex respiratory infection. He was 88 years old.

His death, 12 years after he was declared pope, has prompted renewed questions about who will succeed him as leader of the Catholic Church, one of the oldest and largest religious institutions with up to 1.39 billion followers.

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