Who will be the next pope? A former Indianapolis Archbishop among possible candidates

Yahoo

06-05-2025

As the Catholic Church undergoes its holy ritual to find the successor to Pope Francis, a cardinal with ties to Indianapolis has emerged on several lists predicting who may become the next pontiff.
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, 72, previously served as the Archbishop of Indianapolis after he was appointed to the position by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 18, 2012, before he was elevated to a cardinal by Pope Francis on Oct. 9, 2016.
On Jan. 6, 2017, Pope Francis appointed him to serve the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey.
Tobin's name appeared on several lists, including the BBC, New York Times and USA Today, predicting who may become the next pope.
If Tobin were to be selected, he would be the first American selected by the church to serve as the Pope.
Tobin was asked in 2018 by the Detroit Free Press how he would feel if he were selected as the Pope.
'God loves his church too much to have me as pope,' Tobin joked in that interview. 'Knowing what the office entails, anybody who strives to be pope is either deranged or shortsighted. It's an awesome responsibility for Pope Francis and his predecessors.'
Who is Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin?
Tobin, a progressive, is among the 10 Americans who'll have a vote in the conclave.
He was the first Detroit-born priest to become a Catholic Cardinal, and throughout his service with the church has followed the teachings of Pope Francis, supporting undocumented immigrants and extending his hand to LGBTQ Catholics.
This was especially demonstrated during his time serving Indianapolis, where Tobin stood as a champion for refugees and immigrants during Trump's first administration.
In November 2015, as millions of people were fleeing Syria after a civil war broke out, then-Gov. Mike Pence banned them from resettling in Indiana after Syrians were implicated in terrorist attacks in Paris.
A few weeks later, Tobin announced the Archdiocese of Indianapolis had settled a Syrian refugee family of four in the city, which marked the beginning of a conflict between the Church and the Indiana government.
Over the next year, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, under the leadership of Tobin, helped resettle about 150 Syrian families to Indiana.
More: Can Cardinal Joseph Tobin rise to become 1st American pope?
The National Catholic Reporter noted the 72-year-old's background is impressive and largely built outside the United States, a fact that might set at ease any concerns about a pope from a global superpower. Tobin, who was once an auto mechanic, is a member of the Redemptorists, an order known for its work with the poor, immigrants and the "spiritually abandoned."
Tobin, the National Catholic Reporter noted, was one of Francis' staunchest supporters among American bishops. He's also been dubbed a man whose "affable style and easy humor" helped win friends even among ideological opponents. He's frequently in Rome, so he has a familiarity with how the Vatican works and has been known to use the city's public transit system to get around.
Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at [e-mail], follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Contributing USA Today reporters: Jorge Ortiz and Phaedra Trethan.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Who will be the next pope? Former Indiana Archbishop could be a contender