Who is Cardinal Pietro Parolin? Top contender to succeed Pope Francis with diplomatic expertise, major scandals

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, has been a consistent favorite to succeed Pope Francis and has long been regarded as a possible papabile (pope contender).

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, has been a consistent favorite to succeed Pope Francis and has long been regarded as a possible papabile (pope contender).

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is from Italy, is regarded as one of the more moderate contenders to succeed Francis as head of the Church and is anticipated to carry out Francis' objectives from a more practical standpoint.(AP)

He has been an important diplomat for the Catholic Church for many years and is a well-known figure at the Vatican. Francis appointed him Secretary of State in 2013.

Parolin, who is from Italy, is regarded as one of the more moderate contenders to succeed Francis as head of the Church and is anticipated to carry out Francis' objectives from a more practical standpoint.

In addition to overseeing the Holy See's contentious agreement with China about the nomination of bishops, the seasoned diplomat was involved—though not charged—in the Vatican's disastrous investment in a London real estate project, which resulted in the trial of nine other cardinals in 2021.

Parolin, a former ambassador to Venezuela, has extensive knowledge of the Latin American church. As a more sober and reserved diplomatic insider, he would be perceived as carrying on Francis' legacy by restoring an Italian to the pope following three consecutive outsiders: Francis (Argentina), Benedict (Germany), and St. John Paul II (Poland). Although Parolin has overseen the Vatican's administrative structure, he lacks practical pastoral experience. He could face a setback due to his involvement in the London scandal, in which his office suffered a loss of tens of millions of dollars due to dubious business practices and faulty agreements.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin: A look at his career and controversies

Born and raised in northern Italy, Cardinal Parolin enrolled in seminary at the age of 14 and became a priest at the age of 25.

While pursuing canon law at the Gregorian University in Rome, he started preparing for the Vatican's diplomatic service, and he was officially employed as a diplomat at the age of 31.

The cardinal is credited with helping to reestablish official diplomatic contacts with the Holy See during his early journeys to Nigeria and Mexico.

Cardinal Parolin oversaw Vatican efforts to carry out nuclear non-proliferation in the 2000s while serving as a deputy secretary in the Holy See's Relations with States department.

He was in charge of representing the Vatican on several delicate assignments, such as visits to Vietnam and North Korea.

Pope Benedict XVI made him a bishop in 2009.

He came under fire in 2018 after the Holy See and China reached a covert temporary arrangement about the hiring of bishops in China.

In China and others part of the world, the matter caused division among cardinals, bishops, and conventional Catholics.

Cardinal Parolin also faced backlash for his denial to support financial reforms and his handling of specific finances.