Ex-Vatican worker says cardinals will be ‘infighting’ over next Pope

By Ben Barry

A former Vatican worker says cardinals will be bickering and infighting ahead of pope vote - and has predicted who they will choose.

Charles Collins, 52, worked at Vatican Radio between 2001 and 2017.

In 2005, Charles correctly predicted that Pope Benedict would win the vote on the fourth ballot and would choose the name Benedict.

Now, Charles has used predicted Italian Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa will be the next pope, and will choose the name Francis II.

He also revealed unlike the film "Conclave" - viewership of which has spiked 283% - the infighting and bickering between cardinals happens before the proceedings begin.

The Vatican announced the conclave will begin on May 7.

Charles, now managing editor of Catholic news website Cruxnow.com, from Dallas, Texas, said: "I think the most likely candidate is Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

"I think because one, he is Italian. Two he doesn't really fit in either the liberal or conservative schools.

"He has traditional Catholic views, but he is not playing a game.

"And three, because he is in the Holy Land (Jerusalem).

"He understands how Catholics are living in a precarious state in many parts of the world.

"I think he is going to become Frances II, and not because of his support for Pope Francis.

"But because he is a Franciscan friar, and if he comes after Pope Francis and doesn't choose the name Frances, it would be like a slap in the face to his religious order."

When it comes to choosing the next Pope, Charles said there is infighting and people getting together to talk about who they would prefer.

But, he said, all the drama will take place before the conclave begins - and has been happening over the last few years.

He said: "There is infighting, people are getting together to talk about who they want.

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"There are things being planned, all that stuff has already happened - it's been happening for years.

"Once they get into the conclave, it stops happening."

When it comes to voting, Charles said the "real voting" will happen on the second day of the conclave.

He said it is on the first day of voting when everyone votes for their friends, and then they will continue to vote until someone gets two-thirds of the vote

Charles said: "There will be one vote on the first evening, and everyone's going to vote for their friends.

"The real voting happens the next day, and that's when we see who the people (candidates) are.

"That is when people are going to go 'which one of these top earners do I want?' and then you go onto the third vote.

"If in the third vote, someone gets over 50%, that person will be voted in as the next Pope in the fourth vote.

"It is possible that you might see three big candidates in the third vote, and you see it going to five or six votes.

"People now know who they want, and they know what they are looking for."

Pope Francis died aged 88. Charles said the conversations around who the next Pope will be likely started when he was aged 80.

He said that within the Cardinals, there are four different groups - including the conservatives, the progressives, Cardinals from the developing world and Italians.

He said, "I am pretty sure that the different factions already know who their candidate is.

"Right now, they are trying to get people in other factions to support their candidate.

"That's the only kind of debates that are happening now, but when the Conclave begins - all of that stuff's done.

"I freely admit that there will be some kind of arguments happening.

"But generally speaking, that doesn't happen."