ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Papabile

Imagine there's a big group of people called the Catholic Church, and they believe in God and have their own special leader called the Pope. The Pope is like the boss of the Catholic Church and helps make important decisions for all the Catholics around the world.

But sometimes, the Pope gets old or maybe he gets sick and can't be the leader anymore. So, the Catholic Church needs to choose a new leader to replace the old one. This is called electing a new pope, and it's a very important job because the new pope will be in charge of the whole church.

Now, when they need to choose a new pope, they have a special group of cardinals who get together and discuss who would be a good choice. These cardinals are like the important helpers of the Pope. They come from all different countries and have different jobs in the church.

One of the important things the cardinals consider when choosing a new pope is if the person is papabile. Papabile is a special word that means someone who is considered likely or capable of becoming the next pope.

To be papabile, the person usually has to have certain qualities that the cardinals think are important for a good pope. These qualities can be things like being very knowledgeable about the teachings of the church, being a good leader, and having a strong faith in God.

The cardinals talk to each other and think about all the different people who could be a good fit for the job. They listen to each other's opinions and debate who would be the best choice. They have a few rounds of voting until they finally come to a decision.

Once they choose someone, they announce it to the world and this person becomes the new pope. This is a very exciting time for the Catholic Church because they have a new leader and everyone looks to the pope for guidance and direction.

So, papabile is the term used to describe someone who is considered capable of becoming the next pope. It's like being on a special list of people who could be chosen, and the cardinals have to think very carefully about who would be the best fit for the job.