KUALA LUMPUR — As the Catholic world prepares for the upcoming papal conclave on May 7 at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, speculation over who will succeed Pope Francis has been heating up.
Names such as Italy’s Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Philippines’ Luis Antonio Tagle, Ghana’s Peter Turkson, and America’s Robert Prevost have been cited as possible frontrunners.
But according to Rev Fr Gerard Theraviam, parish priest at St John’s Cathedral in Kuala Lumpur, the hype around these names is largely a media invention.
“Anyone of the 135 cardinals can be voted in,” said Fr Gerard in an interview with Scoop.
“I wouldn’t be too excited with all these lists that are being bandied around. Sometimes it can even be a disadvantage to be on one, because it brings more scrutiny.”
He pointed to the unexpected election of Pope Francis in 2013 as a clear example.
“Did we expect an Argentinian pope the last time around? I don’t think anybody did. Somebody would’ve made a lot of money if they had placed a bet on him,” he said with a smile.
Fr Gerard emphasised that the Catholic Church does not issue any official list of frontrunners.
“The list is what happens once they go inside the conclave. Then they start talking, several rounds of voting take place, and eventually someone emerges. But at this point, God might have a few surprises up His sleeves.”
Among the 135 voting cardinals is Malaysia’s very own Datuk Seri Sebastian Francis. The Johor-born 73-year-old, who serves as Bishop of Penang, was appointed cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023, making him only the second Malaysian to hold the title, after the late Anthony Soter Fernandez.
Fr Gerard said Cardinal Sebastian’s presence in the conclave is deeply meaningful, especially for Malaysian Catholics.
“For a country like Malaysia, often seen as a small fry in the Catholic world, this is significant,” he said.
“We’ve been considered Mission territory, but we’re growing. The fact we now have a cardinal says something not just about the man himself, but about the maturity of the Church in Malaysia.”
He added, “Of course, it is with pride that we see him there. We pray for him as we pray for all the 135, that the Holy Spirit might guide them to choose the person God wants as the next pope.”
In the lead-up to the conclave, Fr Gerard has also been busy attending to dignitaries who have visited St John’s Cathedral in Jalan Bukit Nanas, to sign the official condolence book for Pope Francis.
The Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur and the seat of its Archbishop Most Rev Julian Leow.
Before taking up his current post, Fr Gerard served for more than a decade as rector at College General in Penang—the country’s oldest Catholic seminary, where many of Malaysia’s priests, including bishops, received their formation.
With the conclave just days away, anticipation continues to build. While public speculation is rife, the actual decision will unfold behind closed doors—hopefully guided not by punditry or politics, but by prayer, discernment and the quiet workings of faith. — May 5, 2025
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