Ku qor sii wadida cutubkan - Ka dib markii Pope John Paul II uu dhintay 2dii Abriil 2005, Bergoglio wuxuu ka qeybgalay aaska waxaana loo tixgeliyey inuu yahay mid ka mid ah "papabile" ee ku guuleysta jagada baadariga. Wuxuu ka qaybgalay sidii kardinal doortay shirkii 2005
taas oo doortay Pope Benedict XVI. Wargeyska "National Catholic Reporter", John L. Allen Jr. wuxuu ku warramay in Bergoglio uu ahaa ninka ugu sareeya tartanka 2005-tii. Bishii Sebtember 2005, majaladda Talyaaniga ee "Limes" ayaa daabacday sheegashooyin ah in Bergoglio uu ahaa kaalinta labaad iyo tartanka ugu weyn ee Cardinal Ratzinger ee kulankaas iyo in uu helay 40 cod oo codbixinta seddexaad ah, laakiin uu dib ugu dhacay 26 codbixinta afaraad iyo go'aaminta. Sheegashooyinku waxay ku salaysnaayeen maalin-qoraal la sheegay inuu leeyahay kardinal aan la aqoon oo ku sugnaa shirkii. Sida laga soo xigtay saxafiga reer Talyaani Andrea Tornielli, tirada codadka noocan oo kale ah ma aysan horay u dhicin "papabile" Laatiin Ameerika. "La Stampa" ayaa sheegay in Bergoglio uu si adag ula tartamay Ratzinger inta lagu gudajiray doorashada, ilaa uu sameeyay codsi dareen leh oo ah in kardinaalada aysan u codeyn isaga. Sida laga soo xigtay Tornielli, Bergoglio wuxuu codsigan u jeediyay in uu ka hortago in shirku dib u dhac ku sameeyo doorashada baadariga.