Papabile

Among the papabili cardinals who have been elected pope are Eugenio Pacelli (Pius XII), Giovanni Battista Montini (Paul VI), Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) and Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Francis).

However, at times the College of Cardinals elects a man who was not considered papabile by most Vatican watchers.

For instance, Carlo Maria Martini was thought to be papabile until he retired from his see upon reaching 75 years of age.

Edward Pentin, Rome correspondent for the National Catholic Register, released a book in August 2020 entitled The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates, listing 19 Cardinals he considered papabili for a future conclave after Pope Francis.

Some of them have turned 80 since the publication of the book and thus will not be part of a future conclave (but could still be elected pope).

The 1492 conclave was the first to be held in the Sistine Chapel , the site of all conclaves since 1878