Who Is The Next Pope? Jerusalem's First-ever Cardinal, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Emerges As Possible Contender

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the world's first Jerusalem-born Cardinal, has burst onto papal succession talk, presenting the intriguing possibility of a pope with deep roots in Christianity's birthplace.

While he's a good decade younger than the usual suspects, this quietly impressive Italian-born cleric with 35 years in Jerusalem has become the conclave's dark horse candidate. Ironically, it's the grim backdrop of Middle East violence that's thrust him into the spotlight, showcasing his unique brand of compassionate pragmatism.

If you bumped into Pizzaballa in a café, you'd probably mistake him for a thoughtful university professor rather than a Prince of the Church. Tall, lanky, and refreshingly straightforward, he jokes about being hopelessly out of touch with his Italian homeland, confessing, 'I've absolutely no clue what people in Italy natter on about these days.'

A Unique Voice In The Vatican

Pizzaballa himself has become a subject of discussion within Vatican City. Despite being ten years younger than the perceived frontrunners, the first cardinal from Jerusalem has risen as a fascinating possibility, his prominence fueled by the same Gaza war that has required him to face challenging questions about faith and humankind.

No wonder – he's spent his entire adult life navigating Jerusalem's labyrinthine politics and faith communities since arriving as a fresh-faced 25-year-old priest. Unlike many Vatican high-flyers who've climbed the career ladder through cushy European postings, Pizzaballa cut his teeth in perhaps Christianity's most complicated patch.

'Every man of faith has questions, including myself,' Pizzaballa said in an interview conducted less than two weeks before Pope Francis passed away. 'You are so frustrated from the situation, and you ask, "Where are you?" to God. "Where are you?" Then I come to myself and I understand the question should be, "Where is man now? What have we done with our humanity?"

'We cannot consider God guilty of what we are doing,' he added. Pizzaballa, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday, first came to Jerusalem at 25 as a newly ordained priest.

A Life Shaped By The Holy Land

His early life was characterised by significant financial hardship, so much so that entering a monastery was partly motivated by the fact that his family would have one less person to provide for. More importantly, though, he found inspiration in a local priest who cycled, bringing happiness and a sense of spirituality into the young boy's life.

Any familiarity the wider public might have had with Pizzaballa before Pope Francis's death probably revolved around a gesture he deems so 'obvious' as to be practically without importance: a little over a week into the Israel-Gaza war – and two weeks after becoming a cardinal – he proposed an exchange of himself for the Israeli children taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October.

When questioned during a private briefing with Vatican reporters, a call meant to focus on his significant appointment, Pizzaballa responded: 'I am prepared for an exchange, anything, if this can lead to freedom, to bring the children home... There is total willingness on my part.'

He remembered it as a 'strange question,' yet his response was deeply sincere. 'I didn't expect the reaction. Wonderful reaction in the world, but not in Palestine,' he shared with CNN. 'Why Israeli children and not for the Palestinian children? My answer was... also for them I'm ready. No problem.'

Pizzaballa And The Gaza Conflict

Still, the reality that, amidst the turmoil and lack of direction that has defined this wartime period, no other person, whether in politics or religion, locally or internationally, has echoed his immediate offer, fills him with astonishment. Equally surprising to him is the absence of any response from those in authority.

As the war began, Pizzaballa wisely foresaw that 'the first thing to do is to try to win the release of the hostages, otherwise there will be no way of stopping (an escalation) adding a note of caution: 'You can't talk to Hamas. It is very difficult.'

Now, 19 months later, as Israel stands on the verge of widening its military action and 59 hostages remain in Hamas's captivity, his words appear to have been an accurate prediction.

Pizzaballa's Leadership In A Time of War

This Franciscan friar, Pizzaballa, who has committed himself to the idea of a worldwide church, readily moves within the Jewish and Muslim communities where he has made his home, accepting his own inconsistencies.

As the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, he oversees Catholics living in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, and Cyprus.

With almost his entire adult life spent in Jerusalem and a PhD from the Hebrew University to his credit, Pizzaballa can amiably hold his own in a theological exchange on YouTube. Speaking fluent Hebrew with an Israeli Orthodox rabbi, he comes across like two old friends conversing at a cafe.

One could easily picture the thoughtful, lanky Pizzaballa, nephew of Pier Luigi Pizzaballa, the Roman football star of the 1970s, as a former athlete who became a professor. However, faith is the very essence of his existence.

Pizzaballa's Response To War And Hostage Crisis

The war and his new cardinalship have propelled him into the unaccustomed role of advocating for Israelis and Palestinians, and notably Gazans, at the Vatican – where he experiences 'the need to be the voice of my people to the world, but also the voice of faith to my people.'

The war also compelled Pizzaballa to address urgent, fundamental anxieties about the very notion of our shared human existence. 'One of the problems we have now is that we tend to dehumanise the other. You shouldn't do this,' Pizzaballa says.

To an outsider, Pizzaballa's years in Jerusalem might appear to be characterised by conflict. He has navigated the Catholic Church in Jerusalem and beyond through at least half a dozen other conflicts even before the current one. However, he asserts without a doubt that this war has been the most difficult, testing both his followers and his faith.

Since the war started, Pizzaballa has made two trips to Gaza, one in May of last year and another just before Christmas. His faith has been his constant support throughout.

Faith, War, And A Possible Future

Though tested, challenged, and sometimes even questioned, his faith ultimately emerged stronger through all the uncertainties encountered. And this is how he would likely describe most of his life dedicated to leading a church.

Pizzaballa's comfortable demeanor and sincerity have won over the people of Jerusalem. His parishioners, primarily Palestinians, find in him a confirmation of their own historical links to the foundations of Christian identity.

When he got into the black sedan for his journey to Ben Gurion Airport and the conclave, a group of patriarchate employees and friends, who had come specifically to accompany him for this momentous occasion, surrounded the vehicle and offered a blessing in Arabic song.

'Lord, guide his steps with wisdom, fill his heart with spirit, and be with him if it is your prayer for him to lead your Church,' they chanted.

The sendoff was a touching moment, almost like a goodbye. In his characteristic way, Pizzaballa avoided any such emotional display, concluding his short pre-departure words with a request for prayers and a straightforward, quick 'see you soon.'

Whether Pizzaballa returns with a new white outfit or simply his familiar Cardinal's red, his perspective offers something the Vatican desperately needs: leadership forged in Christianity's birthplace rather than its corridors of power. In a world fracturing along religious and cultural lines, a Pope who's spent decades building bridges in the Middle East might be exactly what the doctor ordered.