After the 88-year-old pontiff’s diagnosis with double pneumonia was announced yesterday, speculation has already begun regarding his possible successor of Pope Francis, as leader of the Catholic Church.

The New York Post recently published a list of eight potential candidates to take on the papacy, including the Gozitan Cardinal Mario Grech among other cardinals hailing from various countries across the world, including Italy, Philippines and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The publication wrote: 'The current secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Mario Grech, is considered a potential moderate successor of Pope Francis. He has previously spoken of the necessity to reach out to those who are ostracised from the Church due to their sexuality or marital status. In a 2014 speech given at the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Grech highlighted the Church’s need to maintain continuity of teaching while allowing for creativity in the methodology of speaking to the people. Grech was made a cardinal in 2020 by Pope Francis.’

Born in Qala, Gozo, on 20 February 1957, Cardinal Mario Grech’s path of faith led him to serve as Bishop of Gozo from 2005, an appointment made by Pope Benedict XVI. In 2019, Pope Francis called upon him to serve as pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.