Seven cardinals were most discussed overnight, according to Vatican sources.
They are:
Pierto Parolin
Pierto Parolin is widely considered one of the frontrunners for the next papacy.
The 70-year-old Italian has been the Vatican’s secretary of state, a role referred to as the “deputy pope”, since 2013 and was closely associated with Pope Francis.
If he is elected, it will be the first time in almost 50 years that the role has gone to a native Italian.
Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Another Italian, Cardinal Pizzaballa is the current head of the Vatican’s Latin office in Jerusalem and has spent more than three decades in the city.
He has devoted himself to the Middle East and most recently the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Pablo Virgilio David
Pope Francis made the 66-year-old Filipino a cardinal on 7 December 2024, making him one of the later additions to the conclave.
Angel Fernandez Artime
Born in 1960, Artime was another cardinal put in place by Francis.
The Spaniard became a cardinal in March last year.
Cristobal Lopez Romero
The Moroccan is another one of those brought in by Francis to the conclave.
He has described not wanting to be pope himself so much, Crux reported, that if he saw any chance of it happening, he’d start running from Rome until he hit Sicily.
Robert Francis Prevost
The American was brought to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world – one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.
But despite this power, there has been previous reluctance to elect an American pope – could that be about to change?
Jean-Marc Aveline
The 66-year-old currently serves as Archbishop of Marseille and is part of the more progressive camp within the cardinals, aligned with Francis.
While this is no guarantee that any of them will win, we’ve been previously told the first vote was significant for solidifying who had support and who didn’t.