In the days after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem,offered himself up as a hostage in exchange for the freedom of kidnapped Israeli children.
The offer, reported by Vatican News, the Holy See’s news portal, was not taken up, but it nevertheless drew attention to Cardinal Pizzaballa, who is a contender to succeed Pope Francis.
As an Italian, Cardinal Pizzaballa would bring the papacy back under control of a country that dominated it for centuries, after a gap of almost 50 years. His long experience in a politically fraught region that is the cradle of three major religions — he was ordained in 1990, at the age of 25, and moved to Jerusalem that year — has also boosted his papal capital.
But Cardinal Pizzaballa is seen as a Vatican outsider, given that he has spent decades in the Middle East, rather than building alliances closer to home.
Some cardinals and other members of the Roman Catholic Church’s hierarchy are also concerned that Cardinal Pizzaballa, 60, may be too young for the job. Pope John Paul II was elected at 58 and served for 26 years. The prospect of another papacy lasting a quarter-century or more has given pause to some of the cardinals who will elect the next pope.
Cardinal Pizzaballa’s reverence for traditional elements of church practice has made him palatable to some conservatives. But after spending decades in the Middle East, he is something of a wild card, since his positions on many issues that have caused division in the church are not known.
