Vatican power struggle: will an ‘anti-Francis’ pope emerge from conclave?

Of 135 cardinals eligible to take part in choosing successor, late pontiff appointed about 110 including conservatives

Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell, center, flanked by Master of Ceremonies Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli, left, and Master of Ceremonies Lubomir Welnitz, right, performes the ceremonial aspersion of the body of Pope Francis with holy water as part of the final rites inside his private chapel at the Vatican, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

The death of Pope Francis will throw into sharp relief the internecine power struggle that has been a hallmark of his papacy.

In the coming days, a ferocious battle for the future of the church will be played out with the highest of stakes within the sanctity of the Sistine Chapel.