Could the next pope be from New Jersey?

✝️ Newark Cardinal Joseph Tobin's name has been floated as a papal candidate

✝️ He shares liberal views of Pope Francis

✝️ A Rutgers religious professor said its highly unlikely an American will get the vote

As the 135 cardinals gather at the Vatican for the papal conclave the name of Newark Cardinal Joseph Tobin has been mentioned as a potential candidate to succeed the late Pope Francis.

There are no official candidates for the papacy, but some cardinals are considered “papabile.” That means they possess the characteristics necessary to become pope. After St. John Paul II broke the centuries-long Italian hold on the papacy in 1978, the field of contenders has broadened considerably.

When the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to choose a successor to Pope Francis, they will be looking above all for a holy man who can guide the Catholic Church. Beyond that, they will weigh his administrative and pastoral experience and consider what the church needs today.

However, when white smoke eventually pours out of the Vatican signifying the election of a new pope, it will likely be for someone else, according to Dugan McGinley of the Rutgers Department of Religion at the School of Arts and Sciences in New Brunswick. While he's happy to see Tobin's name being mentioned, he thinks it's unlikely any American will be selected.

"The American church is perceived as pretty powerful and wealthy, but that's exactly why I think the majority of the cardinals, while they love a lot about America, they think America already has too much power in the world anyway. They don't need to add to that by making a pope from America happen," McGinley said.

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McGinley said he has only recently learned about Tobin's bigger role within the Catholic church.

"I knew that he had served in the Vatican. I didn't realize quite how far his global reach extended, primarily because he was head of his religious order for a while, and did a lot of traveling," McGinley said. "It's not that he has anything against him, per se. It's more that there are other candidates they'll probably be more excited about."

Tobin's views tend to be perceived as more liberal, according to McGinley. He has supported migrants and LGBTQ individuals, which aligns him with Pope Francis' views. But there is also a more conservative wing that was always worried about Francis who wouldn't support Tobin.

McGinley believes Tobin would happily accept the position if he were elected. McGinley said there could be some detractors from within the Newark Archdiocese about his management style.

"From what I hear, he's a bit too hands-off and leaves a lot of administrative stuff to other people on his staff, and I think that's frustrating for some people. I don't know how much that would play into conversations among the cardinals because that might be too local and too granular," McGinley said.

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