Among the possible people listed to succeed Pope Francis, who died this week at the age of 88, is Italian-born Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the 60-year-old Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who has lived in the Holy Land for more than 30 years. Given the circumstances, Pizzaballa, who has made no secret of the fact that he speaks to Hamas, could well play an important diplomatic role if elected as the next pope. As an authority in and on the Middle East who has had access to a series of leaders within the region, he could be a key player in efforts toward Middle East peace.