Papabile

Papabile (/pəˈpɑːbɪleɪ/ pə-PAH-bil-ay, UK also /-li/ -⁠ee, Italian: [paˈpaːbile]; plural: papabili; lit. 'pope-able' or 'able to be pope') is an unofficial Italian term coined by Vaticanologists and used internationally in many languages to describe a Catholic man—in practice, always a cardinal—who is thought of as a likely or possible candidate to be elected pope by the College of Cardinals.

In some cases, a cardinal who is considered papabile is elected pope. Among the papabili cardinals who have been elected pope are Eugenio Pacelli (Pius XII) in 1939, Giovanni Montini (Paul VI) in 1963, Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) in 2005, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Francis) in 2013, and Robert Francis Prevost (Leo XIV) in 2025. However, at times the College of Cardinals elects a man who was not considered papabile by most Vatican watchers. In recent years, those who were elected pope though not considered papabile were Angelo Roncalli (John XXIII) in 1958, Albino Luciani (John Paul I) in August 1978, and Karol Wojtyła (John Paul II) in October 1978.

The list of papabili changes as cardinals age. For instance, Carlo Maria Martini was thought to be papabile until he retired from his see upon reaching 75 years of age in 2002. A famous saying is: "He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal."

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