Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the first cardinal and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, is regarded as a dark horse candidate for pope in the 2025 conclave because of his unusual background, peacemaking credentials, and outsider status-but also because he has major obstacles to overcome.
Pizzaballa is remarkable for his decades-long dedication to peace and dialogue in the Middle East, having resided in Jerusalem since 1990 and guided Catholics throughout Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus.
He speaks Hebrew, Italian, and English, and has bridged Christians, Jews, and Muslims, frequently calling for grassroots reconciliation and backing civil society initiatives that bring Israelis and Palestinians together. He arranged the historic 2014 Vatican peace prayer with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and has criticized both Israeli and Palestinian governments in public for policies that block peace.
His Franciscan humility, immunity from Vatican politics, and talent for maneuvering religious and political nuances in a conflict area are compelling credentials for those who seek a pope with a penchant for dialogue, justice, and a global reach.
Pizzaballa's own image of being "stubborn and having spirit of sacrifice" and keeping away from power brokers resonates with demands for a pope who stands outside the spheres of politics and economics.
Nonetheless, Pizzaballa is a long shot for a number of reasons. He is not one of the top favorites with bookmakers, who as things stand are concentrating on such names as Cardinals Parolin and Tagle.
The highest office in the Catholic Church has only infrequently been occupied by anyone not from the traditional European or Vatican ranks, and Pizzaballa's experience, extensive as it is, is based on a relatively small and troubled diocese. His outspoken Middle Eastern politics opinions and outsider status will also caution some cardinals.
In short, while Pizzaballa's profound background in interfaith dialogue, advocacy for peace, and leading a volatile region makes him an emblem of change and hope, the insider-oriented propensity of the conclave keeps him a tantalizing but unlikely pope candidate.
