US President Donald Trump joked on Wednesday (Apr 30) that he would like to succeed Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke. His comments come as the Vatican City is preparing for the next head of the Catholic Church.
“I’d like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice,” Donald Trump stated when asked whom he would like to see become the next Catholic pontiff.
Trump was speaking to reporters while leaving for Michigan for an event marking his 100th day in office. While stating he had no particular favourite, the US President mentioned Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, as someone who could be “very good” for the role.
“No, I don’t know, I have no preference, guys. I might say we have a Cardinal who happens to be out of a place called New York who is very good. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump added.
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President Trump: “I’d like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice.” He goes on to suggest that Cardinal Dolan of New York would make a good pontiff.
pic.twitter.com/3byaaOcrmL— Raymond Arroyo (@RaymondArroyo) April 29, 2025
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Netizens on the internet had a good laugh as the video of Trump’s statement went viral.
🎤 Journalist: Who would you like to see as the new Pope?
🇺🇸 Trump: I would like to be Pope
Oh dear! pic.twitter.com/kpYmte5ITY
— 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐎𝐌𝐒𝐀 | 🇪🇺🇫🇷🇵🇱🇺🇦 (@tweet4Anna_NAFO) April 29, 2025
How will new Pope be elected?
After nine days of mourning pope Pope Francis’ funeral, known as the “novendiali,” the process of selecting the new Pope will begin. During this period, the world’s 252 cardinals will arrive in Rome. Of the 252, only 138 under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave. The cardinals will vote in secret sessions, and the ballots will be burned in a special stove after each session. Black smoke will indicate that no pope has been elected, while white smoke will indicate that the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.
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Who are the cardinals in the race to succeed Pope Francis?
- Cardinal Peter Erdo who is known for his support of the pope’s outreach to Orthodox Christians
- Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is second-in-command at the Vatican
- Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who is a pastoral candidate who has visited Gaza during the conflict
- Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar
- Cardinal Mario Grech, who is a canon lawyer who has major influence on how synods in the church are run
- Cardinal Luis Tagle, also known as the “Asian Francis”
- Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the president of the Italian bishops conference
- Cardinal Anders Arborelius, who is the first-ever cardinal from Scandinavia
- Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix, Metropolitan Archbishop of Quebec, Canada
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