Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 in Saint Martha House, Vatican City, on April 21, 2025. In the immediate aftermath of his death, a tweet from the Daily Noud account on the platform X claimed that American rapper Future is emerging as one of the “top contenders” to succeed him as the head of the Catholic Church.
“JUST IN: Future is one of the top contenders to become the next Pope, according to Vatican experts,” reported Daily Noud in their post on April 23, 2025.
This tweet, which featured images of both Future and Pope Francis, garnered an impressive 5.2 million views within just a day.
However, it has been established that the sensational claim is entirely false. Future is not a serious candidate for the papacy. The election for the next Pope involves high-ranking cardinals, none of whom the artist is included among.
Moreover, the Daily Noud account is known for its humorous and fabricated content intended for entertainment rather than factual reporting. Their bio explicitly states:
“#1 Source For PARODY Hip-Hop News | Follow For Viral Content | These are fake stories | Not affiliated with @DailyLoud.”
The misleading post, despite its fabrication, incited a flurry of humorous reactions from users online:
“Vatican experts really saw future,” commented one user.
“Concerts every Sunday lmao,” quipped another user.
“I would love to hear the choir remixes,” joked a third user.
“What about @kanyewest,” added another commentator.
As of now, Future has not publicly commented on these rumors.
Who are the Legitimate Contenders for the Next Pope?
According to a report by AP News, there are several credible candidates for the papacy. These include:
- **Peter Erdo**, 72, the Hungarian cardinal and Archbishop of Budapest
- **Reinhard Marx**, 71, the German cardinal and Archbishop of Munich and Freising, who has served as a close adviser to Pope Francis since 2013
- **Marc Ouellet**, 80, the Canadian cardinal appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to lead the Bishop’s Office
- **Pietro Parolin**, 70, the Vatican Secretary of State, and
- **Robert Prevost**, 69, a Chicago-born cardinal and Archbishop of Peru
- **Robert Sarah**, 79, the retired head of the Vatican’s liturgy office from Guinea, and
- **Christoph Schoenborn**, 80, the Archbishop of Vienna, who was a student of Benedict XVI.
Additional frontrunners include Luis Tagle, 67, the Filipino cardinal and Archbishop of Manila, who oversees the Vatican’s missionary evangelization office, and Matteo Zuppi, 69, the Italian cardinal and President of the Italian Bishops Conference.
The Transition of Papacy: What Happens Next?
As reported by Wanted in Rome, when a pope passes away, the Catholic community observes a nine-day mourning period. The deceased is typically interred between the fourth and sixth day. Following this, a ‘conclave’—the process of electing a new pope—begins 15 to 20 days after the Pope’s death. This interim period is known as the ‘Interregnum.’
While theoretically any baptized male Catholic can assume the papacy, in practice, only cardinals have been elected since 1378. Each papal candidate is often referred to as “papabile,” and a two-thirds majority of the votes from the College of Cardinals is required to secure their election.
Voting takes place in several rounds until a candidate achieves the necessary majority. The decision is communicated to the public via smoke signals: black smoke indicates no new Pope has been elected, while white smoke signifies a successful election.
Once elected, the new Pope confirms his title and selects a papal name, before being formally introduced from the balcony with the famous Latin proclamation, “Habemus Papum,” meaning “We Have a Pope.”
Throughout history, 266 ministers have led the Catholic Church, with Francis notable for being the first Pope from Latin America, hailing from Argentina.