Cardinal Pietro Parolin entered the May 2025 papal conclave as one of the Catholic Church's most prominent senior figures: a veteran Vatican diplomat, Pope Francis's longtime secretary of state and a cardinal widely discussed in public reporting as a possible successor to Francis.
His position was unusual in another respect. Because Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, was over the age limit for participating in the conclave, Parolin was the senior cardinal bishop among the electors and therefore presided over key conclave proceedings. That procedural role did not give him authority over how other cardinals voted, and speculation about papal candidates remained just that: the conclave itself was secret and no reliable public vote count existed.
Why Parolin Drew Attention Before the Conclave
Parolin had been highly visible during the transition following Pope Francis's death on April 21, 2025. He had visited Francis during his hospitalization and, after the pope's death, took part in the Vatican's mourning period and meetings surrounding the succession.
On April 27, Parolin presided over a public Mass in St. Peter's Square during the Novendiales, the nine days of mourning for Francis. His visibility, extensive diplomatic career and familiarity to cardinals from around the world contributed to the attention surrounding him before the conclave.
But there was no established "front-runner" in the formal sense. Several cardinals told reporters shortly before voting began that the electorate had not settled on a candidate. Parolin was among several names discussed publicly, alongside other senior church figures.
A Diplomat at the Center of the Vatican
Born in Schiavon in Italy's Veneto region in 1955, Parolin was ordained a priest in 1980 and later entered the Holy See's diplomatic service. His career took him to Nigeria and Mexico before he returned to Rome and assumed increasingly senior diplomatic responsibilities.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him apostolic nuncio to Venezuela, where relations between the Catholic hierarchy and the government of President Hugo Chávez were frequently tense. Parolin later described an approach centered on dialogue while attempting to protect the Church's interests without aligning it directly with either the government or its political opponents.
Pope Francis appointed Parolin secretary of state in 2013, placing him at the center of Vatican diplomacy and administration. Over the following years, he dealt with issues involving Ukraine, Russia, the United States, China and other major international relationships while also helping implement Francis's priorities inside the Holy See.
The China Agreement and a Major Source of Debate
One of the most consequential and controversial parts of Parolin's record involved the Vatican's relationship with China.
The Holy See and Beijing had long disagreed over the appointment of Catholic bishops. China maintained a state-supervised Catholic structure, while many Catholics worshiped in communities that remained outside that official system and maintained strong allegiance to Rome.
In 2018, under Francis, the Holy See and China reached a provisional agreement concerning the appointment of bishops. The precise terms were not made public. Vatican officials defended the arrangement as a way to reduce divisions among Chinese Catholics and improve dialogue with Beijing.
Critics, particularly some conservative Catholics and advocates for religious freedom, argued that the agreement gave too much ground to the Chinese government and could leave Catholics outside the state-recognized system vulnerable. Parolin defended engagement with Beijing as a difficult but necessary diplomatic process rather than a resolution of the broader disputes over religious freedom.
Speaking about relations with China in 2023, Parolin emphasized what he described as an attitude of hope, openness and dialogue. The dispute illustrated the broader tension that followed much of his diplomatic career: whether patient engagement could produce practical gains in situations where the Vatican had limited leverage.
A Candidate Difficult to Place in Church Factions
Parolin did not fit neatly into the ideological categories often applied to Catholic leadership debates. He worked closely with Francis and helped execute his diplomatic agenda, but his public style was considerably more restrained than the late pope's.
Some progressive Catholics questioned whether a career diplomat with limited parish leadership experience would continue the pastoral emphasis associated with Francis. Some conservatives, meanwhile, strongly criticized Parolin's role in the China agreement and other elements of Vatican diplomacy.
His record on social issues also complicated simple ideological descriptions. In 2015, after Ireland voted to legalize same-sex marriage, Parolin described the result as a "defeat for humanity," a comment that attracted criticism from supporters of LGBT rights.
Supporters instead pointed to his decades of diplomatic experience, knowledge of the Roman Curia and extensive contacts across the global Church as qualities that could be valuable during a period of transition.
False Health Rumor Before the Vote
Parolin also became the subject of a false rumor shortly before the conclave. Reports circulated claiming that he had suffered a health problem or fainted during one of the cardinals' pre-conclave general congregations.
The Holy See Press Office publicly rejected the claim. Its director, Matteo Bruni, said no such incident had occurred and denied that medical or nursing personnel had been involved.
The episode underscored the intensity of speculation surrounding prominent cardinals as the electors prepared to enter the Sistine Chapel.
What Happened in the Conclave
The conclave began on May 7, 2025, with 133 cardinal electors. Vatican records show Parolin participating as the senior cardinal bishop and leading parts of the formal proceedings as the electors entered the Sistine Chapel and took their oath.
Whatever support Parolin may have received inside the secret voting remains confidential. The conclave ultimately chose someone else.
On May 8, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected pope and accepted the name Leo XIV. The election ended the speculation over whether Parolin or any of the other publicly discussed candidates would succeed Francis.
Parolin consequently remained an important Vatican diplomat rather than becoming pope. His prominence during the transition nevertheless reflected the position he had built over decades: a cautious, experienced church official whose diplomatic record, administrative knowledge and controversial engagement with governments such as China's made him one of the most closely watched figures entering the 2025 conclave.
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