St. Louis archbishop among possible pope candidates: Reports

ST. LOUIS – Last week, 88-year-old Pope Francis was experiencing medical concerns after developing pneumonia in both lungs, and it led to theories of if something were to happen, who could be the next pope? Many have speculated that in the list of candidates, one could be a St. Louisan, who would also be the first American pope if selected. So, who is he?

Several outlets have speculated on 76-year-old Raymond Leo Burke–a former archbishop for the St. Louis Archdiocese in the 2000s–potentially being one of the 137 contending cardinals eligible to take leadership.

The Times stated that during a group prayer last Monday, Burke was spotted in attendance speaking to the pope’s Deputy Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Marco Agostini, who allegedly is in the circle to choose the successor.

After being St. Louis’ archbishop from 2004 to 2008, Burke was appointed by former Pope Benedict and ultimately became a member in the Congregation for the Clergy, according to our partners at the Post-Dispatch.

Burke has been deemed to be one of the more conservative cardinals, challenging Francis and the church on their progressive views of contraception, the LGBTQ+ community, and civil marriages, the Greek Reporter said. Beginning in 2013, Burke was slowly removed from all groups by Francis, according to a 2019 interview with the New York Times.

“He left me with a title, but I don’t have a function…it’s clear that the pope doesn’t want me in any leadership position, that he doesn’t see me as the kind of person he wants to be giving any strong direction to things. But I’ve never had the impression that he thinks I’m his enemy,” Burke said in the interview.

Despite this, Burke was later reappointed to the Vatican’s highest court.

There have been no official reports of who will succeed after Francis. In 2022, he stated that he already had a resignation letter drafted in the event he were to become medically incapacitated. In the event this were to happen, the College of Cardinals would convene for a conclave to vote on the next to take the position.

As of Monday afternoon, Pope Francis is said to be back on non-invasive mechanical ventilation following news of him on a better path to recovery earlier in the morning, according to the AP.