papabile

comparative more papabile · superlative most papabile

1. Being among those likely to be elected pope.

   Vatican watchers have already anointed the Honduran prelate papabile or “popeable.”

   2001 February 20, May Ying Welsh, “Latin Cardinals hint at Church's future”, in CNN

   2 more examples

   All of this is creating a pre-conclave atmosphere. Vatican observers watch to see how each cardinal deputizing for the pope acts, and whether they are papabile (literally “pope-able,” or a potential candidate to be pope).

   2025 March 8, Christopher Lamb, “High anxiety and whispers of a conclave: How the Vatican is dealing with Pope Francis’ hospitalization”, in CNN

   In 2020, Edward Pentin, the senior Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Register, released a book on the topic, titled "The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates." In the book, Pentin listed 19 cardinals he considered to be papabile, or "popeable" frontrunners.

   2025 April 21, Sam Clancy, Andrew Weil, “Former St. Louis archbishop Burke among 'popeable' candidates after Francis' death”, in KSDK

plural papabiles · plural papabili

1. A cardinal among those likely to be elected pope.