English media highlight 3 frontrunners for next Pope

TASS, Philippine News Agency

From April 21 to 28, despite the official mourning period declared by the Vatican, over 16,500 news articles across 1,214 publications—with a combined audience of 352 million—focused on the papal succession. (File Photo: Coronel G/Unsplash)

MOSCOW – English-language media outlets have identified three leading contenders to succeed Pope Francis, highlighting Cardinals Pietro Parolin and Matteo Zuppi of Italy, along with Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, according to a study by analytics firm Cribrum commissioned by Russian news agency TASS.

The study found that Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, was mentioned three times more frequently than Tagle and Zuppi in English-language media.

This pattern was also reflected in social media discussions across platforms.

From April 21 to 28, despite the official mourning period declared by the Vatican, over 16,500 news articles across 1,214 publications—with a combined audience of 352 million—focused on the papal succession.

On social media, more than 60,000 posts by nearly 30,000 authors were tracked, reaching an estimated 134 million users.

TASS noted that instead of focusing on mourning Pope Francis, many American and British media reports have shifted attention toward speculations on his successor and assessments of his papacy.

Common themes included criticism of his stances on Ukraine, capitalism, and environmental protection—highlighting, according to the report, a political lens through which Western media are viewing the transition.

 (TASS)