Can Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pizzaballa be the next Pope?

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has emerged as one of the surprising contenders to succeed Pope Francis, although he is considered too young at 60 for the preeminent role in the Catholic Church. Born in the northern Italian town of Cologno al Serio in Bergamo province, where Catholicism shaped everyday life, Pizzaballa displayed religious fervour from an early age, reportedly preferring catechism to toys, according to his mother. In 1976, aged just 11, he  entered a seminary in Bologna, eventually making his solemn vows in 1989 as a member of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor. He was ordained as a priest by Cardinal Giacomo Biffi in 1990. 

 

Soon after ordination, he travelled to the Holy Land, where he would spend most of his adult life. After his studies at the Studium Biblicum  Franciscanum in Jerusalem for a degree in biblical theology, Pizzaballa joined the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he was the only Christian student in his class. The stint shaped his future career as the representative of the Vatican in the Holy Land. 

 

Fluent in Hebrew, Pizzaballa translated liturgical texts and coordinated the publication of the Roman Missal in Hebrew in 1995. In 1999, he formally joined the Custody of the Holy Land, a Franciscan mission founded by St Francis of Assisi to protect and minister at Christian sites in the Middle East. By 2004, he was elected Custos of the Holy Land, overseeing Franciscan activities across the region. The Custos of the Holy Land serves as the major superior of the Franciscan missionaries living in the Holy Land and the surrounding territories. He is the leader of all the Franciscans in the region and also the Vatican’s official guardian of Christian holy sites, a role given to them by Pope Clement VI in 1342. He became vicar of the Hebrew-speaking Catholic community in 2005, having already served as its superior since 2001. 

 

A defining moment in his early leadership came during a visit to Buenos Aires, where he met Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, later Pope Francis. After arriving late for a meeting, he mistook Bergoglio for a priest and asked him to move his car, much to the amusement of the archbishop. It, however, laid the foundation for a long-term friendship between the two. 

 

From 2004 to 2016, Pizzaballa served as Custos, earning a reputation as a thoughtful bridge-builder among Christians, Jews and Muslims. In 2014, Pope Francis entrusted him with organising a historic interfaith prayer for peace at the Vatican Gardens, attended by the Israeli and Palestinian presidents and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

 

Two years later, Francis elevated Pizzaballa as bishop and named him apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, placing him in charge of Latin Catholics across Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus. Though his appointment surprised some, especially as he was the first non-Arab patriarch since 1987, Pizzaballa was already deeply embedded in the region and gradually won the trust of the local clergy. His initial challenge was to rectify a severe financial crisis triggered by the costly construction of a Catholic university in Jordan. Through a combination of fundraising, structural reform and strategic sales of real estate, he restored the Patriarchate’s financial stability.

 

In 2020, he was formally named Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Three years later, Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals. Within a few days came the devastating Hamas attack on Israel. After Hamas took hundreds of Israelis as hostages, Pizzaballa offered himself in exchange for the hostages. While Hamas rejected the offer, his gesture was widely appreciated, solidifying his reputation for moral leadership.

 

Since Israel launched the Gaza war in response, Pizzaballa has been working ceaselessly for a solution, even as he navigates a tricky political and theological tightrope. He has been critical of the Hamas attacks and the Israeli military response and even managed to visit Holy Family Parish in Gaza, offering succour to the beleaguered Catholic community. Francis himself has expressed frustration with Israel for initially barring the cardinal from entering Gaza, later praising Pizzaballa’s persistence in visiting the Christian community there despite personal risk. Subsequently, his stock has seen a steady rise inside the Vatican. 

 

Pizzaballa has served as a member of the Dicasteries for Eastern Churches and for Promoting Christian Unity, and since 2008, he has been a consultant to the Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. He is widely respected for his ability to navigate religious sensitivities, and his long tenure in Jerusalem has shielded him from controversy on hot-button Church issues like same-sex blessings or women’s ordination. His views on such matters remain largely unknown, which could either be a strength—making him a unifying candidate—or a liability, as some cardinals might see his election as a leap into the unknown.

 

Although Pizzaballa’s theological moorings have been largely traditional, he has been willing to make changes in pastoral practice and has been vocal in his support for migrants and more leadership roles for women. Some critics, meanwhile, believe that electing another Italian pope would represent a way backwards from the Church that turned increasingly global under Francis. However, despite his Italian heritage, Pizzaballa has spent most of his adult life away from Italy, in the Middle East. 

 

Pizzaballa's spiritual outlook reflects his Franciscan roots—pacific, pastoral and deeply spiritual. Commenting on the decline of Catholic practice in Italy, Pizzaballa has argued that an older model of the Church is ending, echoing Pope Benedict XVI’s view that crises often herald renewal.

 

Physically imposing, with a greying beard and quiet intensity, Pizzaballa looks perfect as a future pope. Yet his age, while modest by secular standards, might dissuade cardinals who fear a lengthy papacy reminiscent of John Paul II’s final years. The cardinal electors could be wary of choosing someone with the potential to reign for 30 years or more.

 

Yet, Pizzaballa is among the leading candidates, with his unique skill set of doctrinal reserve, financial competence, cross-religious diplomacy and spiritual authenticity. If not elected this time, he may yet be a frontrunner in future conclaves. 

Middle East