Matteo Maria Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna, is considered a serious pretender to become the next pope. Back on his career.
All eyes have been turned to the Vatican since the death of Pope Francis, Monday, April 21. After his funeral, has now come for the time of the conclave, the meeting of the cardinals voters who will have to designate the next sovereign pontiff. This one must take place this Wednesday from 4.30 p.m. 135 cardinals are eligible to take over from Pope Francis. These are those who are under the age of 80. Two of them have withdrew for health reasons. Technically, the remaining 133 cardinals could all become the next pope. But only 15 of them are “papabile”, according to Charente Libre, that is to say favorites to take over from François. Among them is Matteo Maria Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna (Italy) aged 69.
The Bookmarker Polymarket site even places it in the top ten favorite candidates to become the next Pope. A classification which reflects the bets of the bettors, much more than its real election chances: with many papabili in the running and an unpredictable ballot, these dimensions must be taken with caution.
Matteo Maria Zuppi was a relative of Pope Francis. He was ordered a priest in 1981 and conducted international missions with a mediator role in conflicts. He also has a progressive vision of the Church, which is not shared by all of his peers. Matteo Maria Zuppi was appointed auxiliary bishop of Rome in 2012 by Benedict XVI, Archbishop of Bologna in 2015 and Cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019. He then took the lead from the Italian episcopal conference, which brings together the Italian bishops and which serves as the main assembly of the prelates of Italy.
Its missions in Mozambique and Ukraine
Matteo Maria Zuppi played the role, from 1990, as a mediator in negotiations between the government of Mozambique and the resistance party, engaged in a civil war since 1977. After almost two years of negotiation, mediation led to the signing of peace agreements between the two parties, appointed Rome agreements. After their signature, Matteo Maria Zappi was appointed honorary citizen of Mozambique.
-He also took part in the attempted peace in Ukraine. As announced by the Holy See press office in May 2023, he was responsible for carrying out a mission in order to appease tensions in the conflict in Ukraine. After visits to Ukraine and Russia, he called to “do everything to promote negotiations” in his book “God does not leave us alone. Reflections of a Christian in a world in crisis” (ed. Piemme), according to Vatican news.
Its progressive positions
Like Pope Francis, Matteo Maria Zappi has a position concerning immigration which is very different from that of the last Italian leaders. On February 18, 2024, he spoke on the RAI (Italian public television) on several subjects, including that of migration. Unlike the current government of Giorgia Meloni, the Archbishop of Bologna reaffirmed the position of the Church which “takes sides for the ‘person’”, stressing “the importance of a continuous and constructive dialogue with all governments, including the current government (that of Giorgia Meloni, editor’s note)”, in particular about migrations related to the war in Ukraine, reports Vatican News.
He is also one of the religious figures who displays one of the most progressive visions concerning LGBT rights. In June 2022, he allowed a couple of people of the same sex to unite by receiving a religious blessing. A blessing that was supported by the Curie de Bologna, but not by part of its peers always fiercely opposed to these unions.
12:32 – Cardinal Zappi in the face of mistrust around Sant’Egidio
Matteo Maria Zuppi, cardinal-priest of the community of Sant’Egidio, is an essential figure in this Catholic charity work, recognized for his commitment to the poor, his interreligious dialogue and her role of mediation in international conflicts. However, his association with Sant’Egidio could play against him during the election of the next Pope, according to Vaticanist Sandro Magister. “More and more cardinals are wary of a pontificate that would seriously risk being led by an external oligarchy,” he said, then quoted by The New York Times. Qualifying Sant’Egidio as “formidable machine”, he believes that the community has acquired a disproportionate power under François and that it would now seek to influence the election of its successor, as it would have tried to do during the conclaves of 1978, 2005 and 2013, reports Le Figaro.
05/05/25 – 17:20 – breex matte umbulu par Saint prêtres de la Casa del Clero
Since his appointment to the head of the church of Bologna ten years ago, the Archbishop Matteo Maria Zuppi lives in Casa del Clero with twenty-five retired priests, some of which are sick or in wheelchair, while others remain active in the service of the confession at the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre and the basilica of San Petronio. A few days before the conclave, where he is one of the favorites to succeed Pope Francis, emotion grows in this building of the city center, reports Bologna Today. “If he became Pope, it would be a great joy,” says Sister Monique, director of assistance personnel at the Maison du Clergé. “He is very attached to his brothers who live here. He is interested in them, asks for their news and, if he learns that someone is sick, he worries immediately.” One of the old priests even gave him advice: “If you become Pope, you can keep your first name, Matteo”. The conclave, which begins this Wednesday afternoon, may designate Cardinal Zuppi as a successor.
