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The bookmakers in Europe already have their favorites, but the world won't know who will succeed Pope Benedict XVI until that puff of white smoke is sent up the chimney of the conclave room next month.
The College of Cardinals has no shortage of factors to consider in picking the next pope -- from age to geography -- and no dearth of potential candidates.
Here are some of the princes of the church whose names have emerged from Vatican watchers since Monday's surprise abdication announcement:
Paolo Bona / Reuters
Archbishop of Milan Angelo Scola, attending a funeral in 2012, could be a front-runner to be the next pope.
Cardinal Angelo Scola: He's the archbishop of Milan, a good launching pad for popes, and the former Patriarch of Venice, which has also produced many a papal front-runner. Scola, 71, has close ties to the conservative Communion and Liberation movement, is a champion of immigrants' right and has been active in outreach to the Muslim world. Vatican expert John Allen has written of Scola: "If you like Benedict XVI, you’ll love Scola; even if you don’t, you’ll find it hard not to be charmed."
Cardinal Marc Ouellet: Former archbishop of Quebec, he heads the Congregation of Bishops, a power center. Ouellet, 68, speaks six languages, spent a decade as a missionary in Colombia and has strong ties to Latin and South America. He's considered conservative and made headlines in 2010 when he said abortion was a "moral crime," even in cases of rape. In a 2011 interview, he laughed off the idea of becoming pontiff, saying the workload and responsibility "would be a nightmare."
Ralph Orlowski / Getty Images, file
Cardinal Marc Ouellet celebrating Mass in 2012.
Cardinal Leonardo Sandri: Born in Argentina to Italian parents, Sandri was No. 2 in the Vatican Secretary of State's office under Pope John Paul II and now serves as prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. A longtime Vatican diplomat, Sandri, 69, is well-respected but seen by some as more of a top-notch administrator than a theological leader.
Stefano Relandini / Reuters
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi looks on at Palm Sunday mass in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican.
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi: The Italian-born president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Ravasi, 70, is hugely popular through his Scripture lessons on TV and radio. On a crusade to keep the church relevant, he blogs, quotes Amy Winehouse on Twitter, and criticizes priests for boring sermons. An archaeologist by training, he's a brainy biblical scholar who is seen as a theological moderate.
Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco: The archbishop of Genoa is well-connected, having served twice as the president of the Italian bishop's conference. A baker's son who says he knew he wanted to be a priest in elementary school, Bagnasco, 70, is considered a conservative force in the church. He was the target of death threats in 2007 after comments opposing same-sex unions and in 2011 he launched a thinly veiled attack on scandal-ridden Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and other politicians, referring to them as "sad and hollow."
Max Rossi / Reuters, file
Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana arriving for a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in 2005.
Cardinal Peter Turkson: The first Ghanaian cardinal, he's president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Vatican’s point man on Catholicism in Africa. An energetic 64 years old, Turkson is considered to be more moderate than some other contenders but hardly a radical. Asked about the spread of AIDS in Africa, he said abstinence was a better solution than condoms. A couple of years ago, he said the first black pope would have a "rough time" and he wasn't bucking for the job.
Cardinal Odilo Scherer: Born in Brazil to parents of German extraction, Scherer's big advantage is geography; he hails from the region that is home to half the world's Catholics. Considered a moderate, the 63-year-old serves as the archbishop of Sao Paulo and has spots in two key Vatican groups, the Congregation for the Clergy and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan: The head of the archdiocese of New York is one of the Vatican's most popular figures -- charismatic, camera-ready and conservative. As head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he hasn't shied from away from political fights, taking on the Obama administration over contraception. But Dolan, 63, has only been a cardinal for a year.
Mark Lennihan / AP
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan speaks to the press in his residence after the announcement that Pope Benedict XVI will abdicate.
Related:
U.S. will have unprecedented voice in picking new pope
Pope Benedict XVI to step aside on Feb. 28
Leave a Comment:
I was against an American Pope til I read your comment ;)
Will the new pope be able to pick his own buttler?
It'll be an old white man who wears dresses.
I like your rationale Candlewycke but I doubt the Church will see it the same
I was talking with one of the women in the lab one day, the talk turned to birth control,
Renee Sanford said, "There is always room for one more." Well, I'm a dead frog.
Its time for a female pope !
And male nuns!
Um, no female Pope. They can't be priests so they can't be Pope.
If I had a vote it would first be for Cardinal Frozen Caveman Lawyer. He was a caveman they thawed out, he went to school and became a lawyer.
Other than him, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi quotes Amy Winehouse, so he makes the most sense.
An old school SNL reference, ladies and gentlemen!
St Malachy said that the next and last pope will have the name Peter the Roman...I believe that Peter Turkson is going to be the next pope...if that happen, this world is getting ready to go through the tribulation according to the bible.....Get Ready, Get Ready!!!!!
Idk if you being serious or not, but, goth, I hope you right. Sick of these frakking people
Simply having the name of "Peter" does not mean it will be him.
Prayers for the Cardinals that have to make the decision, prayers for Pope Benedict and hope the remaining days of his life are bright and happy, and many prayers to the future leader of the church.
Maybe he meant , he would have a peter NAMED Roman.
Who really cares who the next pope is going to be. The fact of the matter is there is no such thing as a god, goddess, or any other supernatural beings. these creatures all man made.
I soooo agree!!
PSGenie,
Who cares? One billion, 300 million Catholics care..as do many governments of the world.
Seems your opinion is rather...of no consequence.
It will probably be an Italian one who will be the next Pope I believe. Who every it is let God be with him.
PSGenie, may the god that doesnt exist send you to the hell that doesnt exist to live with the supernatural beings that doesnt exist for saying that!
Agree
This Pope is probably quitting because he's been exposed thru a documentary on HBO as he is part of the molestation problem moving priests around instead of reporting pedofiling to police!! All molestation issues now go directly to this Pope for review, no one else and from there who knows. Religion is all man made, The Vatican is always changing rules, there is no GOD involved here; just MEN covering for MEN!! Despicable!
Wow, you're an idiot and a BoSox Fan. It figures!
Wow, BAZELOPE really, you must be one of those men, pathetic!
Red Sox,
That documentary has been in the making for years.
I see you get your education from HBO, thus the source of your comments.
Like a lot of Catholics I am just hoping that Obama does not exercise Executive Order and make himself Pope!
As an African American, I know the Black Cardinal does not have a chance of becoming Pope. If he was the people would demand that he produce a birth certificate, his college record, prove that he is a Christian and not a Muslim, make she he does not read a speech from a teleprompter, call him all types of names, accuse him of conspiracy after conspiracy and demand that not speak to children in an a school because as the Pope he might try to indoctrinate them.
Nope the Black Man does not have a chance to become POPE. Just blame President Obama for the black guy not having a chance and blame President Obama for the current POPE Resigning.
I agree with David. If they even think of putting a black guy in I want to see a birth certificate and if the Pope can get Obamas at the same time that would be great too.
Obama is not a black man. He is a half black man. Like any liberal, however, he has no values, no morals, no motivation, no sense and still not enough experience to be president.
Don't try to use your race as an excuse for your failure.
LOL!
I hear NAMBLA is filing a lawsuit for discrimination. Several of their members have been trying for years to succeed.
Succeed at what?
Haha good point...
I can see how it can be a problem in deciding who should run and continue this global child molestation ring. Any takers ??????
trvlguy,
Try any organization anywhere that deals with kids.
As an African American, I know the Black Cardinal does not have a chance of becoming Pope. If he was the people would demand that he produce a birth certificate, his college record, prove that he is a Christian and not a Muslim, make she he does not read a speech from a teleprompter, call him all types of names, accuse him of conspiracy after conspiracy and demand that not speak to children in an a school because as the Pope he might try to indoctrinate them.
Nope the Black Man does not have a chance to become POPE. Just blame President Obama for the black guy not having a chance and blame President Obama for the current POPE Resigning.
Wait a minute, there's a Black Cardinal?
Seriously?
Just curious, as you can tell from my post above I'm clearly not Catholic so I don't personally adhere to these sort of things.
If that's true, make him the next Pope. And I sincerely mean that.
More than one black cardinal.
Make him Pope because of his race? What!?!?!? LOLOLOLOL
Absolutely.
Hell if it was a woman I'd say throw her in there.
The very definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. And so far, things haven't actually been going so well for the Catholic faith.
Time to mix it up... maybe a Hispanic. Crap load of Catholic Hispanics. Plus if anyone knows how to get folks to migrate, it would be them.
@Borderlands
The Catholic hierarchy tends to support immigration reform and immigrants' rights...
Oh no here we go it will be the Ghanian. We have a black president so I am sure now people are saying isn't it time for the first black pope....we'll I say no it isn't. Wasn't time for the first black president either but hey whats done is done. Keep it real pick an Italian like it is meant to be.
If I'm not mistaken he wouldn't be the first...I think I read it somewhere in an article...
Maybe Ted Nugent
Well,
Ted would be better than Obama.
I would like to see a black or oriental dude, preferably in 50's , gay, somebody who portrays a hip, new leader...he could roller skate, play defense in the Vatican ice hockey team, deliver his sermons while rapping, would get rid of all those old hymns they sing in church, and commission some new songs by the people who write for, as an example, Bruno Mars, Pink, Justin Bieber, Mickael Buble, Marc Anthony etc etc etc, and perhaps for some of us old timers, the Rolling Stones and even The Boss...
Just to add the right touch, perhaps he could be rooming, or did in the past, with a lesbian nun...
And last but not least, he would replace the incense used in church with a liberal dose of marijuana...
All this will surely contribute to moving the religion forward into the 21st. Century...
Chueches would rock and, even if your soul goes to hell, we would all be having a grand grand time...
I see that you are not a Catholic.
You know when we may see a black Pope?
Sometime after black people stop calling themselves African Americans and just calling themselves Americans. I'm not Black Dutch Cherokee American. I am American. Words carry weight.
Stop with seperating yourself and everyone else will too.
Well spoken sir!
Well said!!!
Michael, maybe more of them will start when they start getting treated like other Americans. I agree with you, by the way, but maybe that is why some of them do it.
No one mentioned the name of Cardinal Tarcisio Pietro Bertone as a possible candidate for the next pope. Right now he is second-in-command to Pope Benedict XVI. You might want to read "Petrus Romanus, The Final Pope Is Here" by Thomas Horn and Cris Putnam. It's primarily about the St. Malachy prophecy concerning the last pope and is available on Amazon.com.
St. Malachy was a medieval Irish Archbishop (1094 – 2 November 1148) who experienced mystic visions about the number of popes from his time until the Second Coming of Christ. According to St. Malachy's time clock, there is only one pope left.
"In extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman, who will feed the sheep through many tribulations, at the term of which the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the formidable Judge will judge his people."
The two authors speculate about what name the final pope might take. Theoretically, this last pope could take the name of Peter II. Since St. Peter, there has never been another pope named Peter. But there is a new twist to all of this. Supposedly, Pope St. Pius X, who reigned from 1903 to 1914, had a mystic vision in which he saw a future pope with the same name as his (Pius) fleeing over the bodies of dead priests. Nothing like this has happened yet in history. Therefore, the next pope could possibly take the name of Pius XIII. You might then ask how could both the St. Malachy prophecy (about a Pope Peter the Roman) and the vision of Pius X (about another Pope Pius) be correct. Cardinal Bertone's name in English is Tarcisius Peter Bertone. He was born in Romano Canavese, in northwestern Italy, near Turin. Therefore, due to both his middle name and place of birth, he is already Peter the Roman. If he were elected as pope, he could then take the name of Pius XIII, and both prophecies would be fulfilled. His chances are good, considering that he's currently second-in-command and is an Italian. The Italians have a big voting bloc in the Vatican. Of course, the Vatican cardinals are well-aware of these prophecies and could make them self-fulfilling. But it's all speculation. I don't know whom they will choose. We will have to wait and see what happens.
All cardinals are candidates.
Actually, technically, all adult Catholic males are candidates.
Katzefrecker...That was a very informative post....If that is the case, it will be interesting to see just what's going to happen in the next few years...I see this as a begining of the terrible tribulation that's going to take place on the earth according to the bible...Time is truly winding up faster than we realize...All of the signs are evident..."Look up for your redemption draws nigh"....
thanks for the post containing some actual information.............
My personal feeling: if Cardinal Bertone is elected Pope, that would tend to confirm St. Malachy's prophecy, and that's getting scary, real scary!
If these people truly believe Peter was the first Pope they should look to him as an example. A lowly fisherman who slaved away for Christ. Not some pompous person gilded in gold.
I would listen to the wisdom of a fisherman any day over someone dressed up in gold.
ANY ..... DAY.
He is the Big Fisherman.
Actually went to high school in ballwin Missouri with Tim Dolan. I'll be rooting him on.