With the death of Pope Francis, cardinals from around the world will soon gather in the Vatican to choose a new pontiff. Francis, of course, hailed from Argentina – but could the next pope be British?
It’s been 866 years since the papacy of Britain’s only ever pontiff (Pope Adrian IV) ended in 1159, and the history of the Catholic Church in the UK since then has been turbulent, with King Henry VIII perhaps the main culprit.
There are currently four British cardinals, three of whom are young enough to vote in the conclave.
And while none of them are considered odds-on favourites for the top job, it’s true that surprises do happen behind the shuttered doors of the secretive congregation of cardinals.
So who are the British cardinals, and could one of them be the next pope?
Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, 79
Born in Crosby near Liverpool, as a child Cardinal Vincent Nichols hoped to be a lorry driver but as a teenager reportedly felt the calling to join the priesthood while watching Liverpool FC.
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He has served as the Archbishop of Westminster since 2009, the most senior position in the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Before that he was the Archbishop of Birmingham.
As cardinal, he is known for leading the church’s work tackling human trafficking and modern slavery, for which he received the UN Path to Peace Award.
He was criticised by the UK’s Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which said he “demonstrated a lack of understanding” of the impact of abuse and “seemingly put the reputation of the church first”.
Cardinal Nichols, responding to the findings, told Sky News he was “ashamed at what has happened in the context of the Catholic Church” and promised to improve the church’s response.
“He has quite a reputation,” says religious historian and writer Catherine Pepinster. “But I don’t think anybody has suggested he should be made pope.”
He himself has appeared to rule himself out of the running as well, telling reporters he was “too old, not capable”.
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The Francis ally
Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, 79
Born in London in 1945, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe entered the Dominican Order of preachers in 1965 and was ordained as a priest in 1971.
As Master of the Dominican Order – the first Englishman in its 800-year history – he was popular for his speeches around the monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in the modern world.
He was appointed cardinal just last year, on 7 December 2024, and is viewed as an ally of Pope Francis who could vote for a candidate who would continue his work.
He’s a popular figure, says Michael Walsh, an expert on Catholic issues, but his age likely rules him out from serious consideration, he added.
“Timothy Radcliffe is an interesting one,” says Ms Pepinster. “There are a lot of people who listen to what he says.
“He has a reputation for speaking very well so possibly (he could be considered), but he’s nearly 80.”
Like Cardinal Nichols, however, Cardinal Radcliffe appears to have confirmed he does not want the job, telling reporters he believed the Holy Spirit was “far too wise to even think of me (as pope) for the shortest moment”.
The diplomat
Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, 87
Made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019, Michael Fitzgerald has been one of the leading experts on Christian-Muslim relations and served as one of the Catholic Church’s delegates to the Arab League of nations.
His ministry saw him spend time in Africa and he was appointed titular archbishop of Nepte in Tunisia.
He is known for engaging with other faiths and wrote a booklet to help Catholics understand and support Muslims during Ramadan.
He also served as apostolic nuncio to Egypt, a diplomatic role similar to an ambassador.
At 87, he is too old to vote for the next pope but can still play a key role behind the scenes in discussions before the conclave starts.
It’s also not technically impossible for him to be elected pontiff himself, despite being too old to cast his own vote, though it isn’t likely.
The Vatican insider
Cardinal Arthur Roche, 75
Born in West Yorkshire in 1950, Cardinal Arthur Roche was ordained a priest at the age of 25 in the Diocese of Leeds.
Within the church, some have regarded him as a cleric who was being fast-tracked to hold high office.
His time as Bishop of Leeds was not without controversy, both for liturgical reasons and also for his programme of closures and mergers of churches in his diocese.
He has held various posts in the Vatican and was made an Archbishop by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, before being made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022.
Dr Walsh says that Cardinal Roche isn’t viewed as a “significant character”, while Ms Pepinster suggested that his tenure as a Vatican official could work against him when it comes to cardinals coming in from all over the world.
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A British pope? Maybe not this time
“I don’t think there’s anything against having an English pope at all,” says Mr Walsh, when asked how Britain was viewed generally.
But with all four British cardinals now 75 or older, age may make them unlikely candidates to be pope, he said.
“I think they will look for someone younger,” he added.
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There’s also a growing consensus that, like with Francis, the next pope should come from beyond Europe, Ms Pepinster added.
Many believe that, as the Church has expanded beyond its Catholic heartlands, the next pope should come from elsewhere.
However, Sky News understands there are whispers around the Vatican that suggest the next pope will indeed be from Europe, and likely from Italy.
Asked about the next pope, Cardinal Radcliffe said: “I think that we always open ourselves to be surprised. All recent popes have been quite different from each other.”
