Who will be the new pope? These are the candidates PHOTO

Pope Francis, who died this morning in the Vatican, was the first Latin American pope, and this signaled a wider change within the Catholic Church, after which it is expected that the head of the Roman Catholic Church may be "the first black or Asian pope", writes the Daily Mail today.

This is a list of the main candidates aspiring to become the next Supreme Abbot of the Roman Catholic Church:

Peter Turkson (76)

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The former Cape Coast bishop would be the first black pope and would have the ability to reach out further into Africa. He was born in Ghana and was sent by Pope Francis as a peace envoy to South Sudan. He takes center stage on the tricky subject of gay relationships, arguing that laws in many African countries are too strict, but that Africans' views on the subject must be respected. Turkson was the bookies' favorite at one point during the 2013 conclave, when Pope Francis was elected.

Luis Antonio Tagle (67)

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Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila, now emerged as a leader. If elected, he would be the first pope of Asian origin, and that region is the one with the fastest growing Catholic population.

He opposed abortion rights in the Philippines, but can be considered one of the more liberal candidates. He also complained in statements that the Catholic Church was too harsh on gay and divorced couples and that this hindered its evangelistic work.

Pietro Parolin (70)

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His choice would be continuity because he worked with Pope Francis as a cardinal - secretary of state in the Vatican.

He is considered a moderate, although not as close to the liberal wing as Pope Francis has appeared. When Ireland voted to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015, Parolin described it as "a defeat for humanity".

Parolin was the architect of the 2018 agreement between the Holy See and China, which some see as a "sellout" to the Chinese Communist Party.

Péter Erdő (72)

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Archbishop Esztergom-Budapest would be the second pope, after John Paul II, who ruled the church back in the former Soviet bloc, when church leaders were often persecuted.

He campaigned for the acquittal of his predecessor Jozef Mindsenti after he was arrested for opposing Hungary's communist regime. Erdő is a deep conservative who has spoken out against divorced or remarried Catholics receiving Holy Communion.

José Tolentino (59)

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Hailing from Cristiano Ronaldo's birthplace of Madeira in Portugal, he served as an archbishop and held a number of roles in the Vatican. Valid for a youth candidate.

Matteo Zuppi (69)

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Zuppi has been the archbishop of Bologna since 2015, and Pope Francis appointed him a cardinal in 2019.

Two years ago, Pope Francis appointed him as the Vatican's peace envoy for Ukraine, and in that capacity he visited Moscow to "encourage gestures of humanity."

Although he did not have an audience with the Russian president, he did meet with the president's controversial ally, Patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, but with little diplomatic progress on his efforts.

Mario Grech (68)

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He previously served as the bishop of Goza, and now he is the general secretary of the Synod of Bishops.

He called on the church to "learn a new language" when dealing with gay couples and divorcees, although he is also seen as a somewhat more traditionally oriented cardinal.

Robert Sarah (79)

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Born in French Guinea, he is another potential candidate to become the first black pope - although age is not on his side.

He has worked in Vatican functions since the time of John Paul II. A conservative, he condemned gender ideology as a threat to society. He also spoke out against Islamic fundamentalism.