Pietro Parolin, a cardinal and longtime Vatican diplomat, is among the top contenders to succeed Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88. The last Italian pope was John Paul I, who died ...

Parolin - a 70-year-old from a small town in Italy's deeply Catholic northern Veneto region - is said to be a steady administrator who could bring some calm after three consecutive papacies that ...

Ever since Pope Francis died on April 21, Cardinal Pietro Parolin had been bettors' favorite as his successor. But, not surprisingly, what gamblers think and what 133 cardinals decide can be ...

An Italian cardinal once tainted by a secret deal with China over the appointment of Catholic bishops has emerged as the favourite to be elected pope. Pietro Parolin, 70, is a seasoned diplomat ...

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin meets with U.S. Vice President JD Vance during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on April 19, 2025, in Vatican City.

Parolin was born on January 17, 1955, into a deeply Catholic family near Venice in northern Italy. His father managed a hardware store and his mother was a teacher.

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.

Parolin - a 70-year-old from a small town in Italy's deeply Catholic northern Veneto region - is said to be a steady administrator who could bring some calm after three consecutive papacies that ...

Pietro Parolin (Italy), 70, Vatican Secretary of State The Vatican’s chief diplomat, Parolin has been the number two at the Vatican during nearly all of Francis’s papacy.