Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline: A Hopeful Candidate for the Papacy

As the papal conclave approaches, the spotlight is on Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, a 66-year-old church leader from Marseille, France. With a reputation as a unifier across various faiths, his supporters believe he could usher in a new era for the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Aveline, affectionately nicknamed "John XXIV" for his resemblance to the beloved Pope John XXIII, is seen as a moderate figure who embodies a bridge-building leadership style. "He’s neither a progressive nor a conservative," noted Jean-François Colosimo, a long-time acquaintance and theologian, adding that Aveline is adept at fostering dialogue. Recently elected as the head of the French bishops’ conference, Aveline has a rich history in promoting interfaith conversations in Marseille, a city known for its rich cultural diversity but also its social challenges, including poverty.

Despite his strengths, Aveline faces significant hurdles. The historical bias against French candidates in papal conclaves since the 14th century poses a challenge, as does his relative unfamiliarity with Vatican procedures and the language barrier, with Italian being the primary operational language at the Vatican. Isabelle de Gaulmyn, a former editor at a major French Catholic newspaper, emphasized that these factors might hinder his chances. Nonetheless, Aveline's distinctive blend of openness and theological depth positions him as an intriguing candidate in the upcoming papal election.