Everyone is saying the same thing about the Canadian cardinal who could be in line to be the next pope

Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday at the age of 88, the world has been waiting with baited breath to see who will succeed him. 

Cardinals from across the world have gathered in the Vatican to pay their respects to the first Latin American Pope whose funeral will take place on Saturday. 

During the nine-day mourning period called novemdiales, people have flocked to see the late leader of the Catholic Church lie in state.

But as Catholics and heads of state across the world mark his passing, the cardinals are already busying themselves with preparations for the Papal Conclave.

All eyes are on the Vatican and those who could be voted in as the next Bishop of Rome.

And one candidate is Cardinal Frank (Francis) Leo, the Archbishop of Toronto.

The Canadian, 54, took on the role in 2023 and just a year later Pope Francis made the holy man a cardinal. 

Cardinal Frank has already paid his respects to the late pope and in an interview with CBS revealed he would be making his way to Rome very soon and hoped that God would guide him and his fellow Catholics.

Cardinal Leo Frank arrives at St. Peter’s Square, ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral

Followers have been swooning over the cardinal 

‘The Church is a family and we’re a little like orphans now. And so we turn to the Lord that he may inspire, that he may guide, he may lead, and it’s important that we have a holy father, spiritual father to guide the church for decades to come,’ he told CBS.

Frank is one of four Canadian cardinals who will be eligible to vote in the conclave but it wasn’t his role in the next papal election that has captured people’s imaginations. 

Instead social media users have pointed out that he looks like another high-profile Canadian.

In the comments section underneath a clip of the cardinal speaking to CBS, users revealed that they thought he reminded them of none other than Justin Trudeau – the former Canadian Prime Minister who stepped down last month. 

 One TikTok user wrote: ‘Is it just me or doesn’t he look like Justin Trudeau?’, while another said, ‘He kind of looks like Justin Trudeau’.

‘If he would read bedtime stories on an app, I’d listen to them,’ addeda nother. 

Peter Turkson, 76, the former Bishop of the Cape Coast, would be the first black Pope and would have the appeal of reaching out to Africa.  He occupies the middle ground on the tricky subject of gay relationships, arguing that laws in many African countries are too harsh but that the views of Africans on the subject must be respected. 

And people flooded to the comments to reply in agreement, commenting: ‘He has his mannerisms and cadence I think too’, and ‘That’s what I thought’.

Pope Francis on Easter Monday at the age of 88 and the world has been waiting with baited breath to see who will succeed him (pictured in 2014)

It wasn’t Cardinal Frank’s role in the next papal election that has captured people’s imaginations but his similarity to former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau (pictured)

Others swooned over him.

‘What a beautiful, calming voice and demeanour he has. I could listen to him talk all day,’ said one. 

Interest in who will become the next pope has become a widely anticipated event and the conclave could bring about the first black or Asian Pontiff, and cardinals in the race include one who called same-sex marriage a ‘defeat for humanity’.

Peter Turkson, 76, the former Bishop of the Cape Coast, would be the first black Pope and would have the appeal of reaching out to Africa.  He occupies the middle ground on the tricky subject of gay relationships, arguing that laws in many African countries are too harsh but that the views of Africans on the subject must be respected. 

Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, has emerged as the frontrunner in the betting markets. He would have the appeal of being the first Asian Pope, the region with the fastest-growing Catholic population.

Pietro Parolin, 70, is the closest to a ‘continuity candidate’, having worked with Pope Francis as Cardinal Secretary of State. 

He is seen as a moderate, though not as close to the liberal wing as Francis has sometimes appeared to be. When Ireland voted in 2015 to legalise same sex marriage, Parolin described it as ‘a defeat for humanity’. 

The Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Peter Erdo, 72, would be the second Pope, after John Paul II, to have administered in the former Soviet bloc, when church leaders were often persecuted. 

In the comments section underneath a clip of the cardinal speaking to CBS, users revealed their shock at the similarity between the cardinal and the former leader of Canada

Erdo is a deep conservative who has spoken against divorced or remarried Catholics receiving holy communion.

The Portugese cardinal, Jose Tolentino, 59, has had a number of Vatican roles and has advocated that biblical scholars engage with the modern world by watching films and listening to music.

Archbishop of Bologna, Matteo Zuppi, 69, was appointed a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019 and two years ago, the Pope made him the Vatican peace envoy for Ukraine where he visited Moscow.

Mario Grech, 68, from Malta, is the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops and has called for the church to ‘learn a new language’ when dealing with gay couples and divorcees,

Robert Sarah, 79, was born in French Guinea and another possibility as the first black pope – although age is not on his side. He has previously denounced gender ideology as a threat to society. He has also spoken out against Islamic fundamentalism.

Vincent Nichols, 79, received his calling to the priesthood while watching his beloved Liverpool FC from the Kop at Anfield. But now Britain’s top Catholic is said to stand an outside chance of succeeding Pope Francis – and becoming the first English Pontiff since the 12th century. 

Liverpool-born Cardinal Vincent Nichols has been Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales since 2009.