Abstract

This closed-door presentation will explore the key institutional dynamics and geopolitical factors shaping the selection of the next Pope. As the most enduring and influential global institution in the modern era, the papacy plays a central role not only in defining Catholicism and global Christianity but also in fostering international dialogue and cooperation. Avoiding simplistic portrayals of the conclave as a political contest or an internal Church affair, the presentation will instead focus on the mechanisms by which shared priorities are identified—and how these may influence the outcome of the papal succession

About the Speakers

Michel Chambon is a Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, NUS. He has a Canonical License in Theology from the Catholic University of Paris, and PhD in Anthropology from Boston University. Interested in Christianity in Asia, he has published research on the agency of Christian buildings in Chinese context, Chinese Pentecostalism, and Chinese Catholic nuns. Since 2021, he is coordinating the Initiative for the Study of Asian Catholics www.isac-research.org.