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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:
the guy in the gold burger king crown looks pretty pope-ish.
The church needs a total and complete makeover. The sexual abuse in the church and the aftermath of that including selling off of schools, churches and land to help pay for abuse claims will still be going on years from now as there is no end to this in the Catholic Church! As the whole world has seen the church has no clue on how to police itself and keep these predators out, nor have they cared to as they have shown by their example of just moving priests around to other parishes, only to molest more and more.
(David N.'s wife here.) @northcountrywoman: The one who would get my vote is the one who has publically denounced the practices that you described surrounding sexual abuse which would be Cardinal _______________? Moderate, multi lingual, charismatic , crusader etc. ...... IMO are all just adjectives.
The Methodoist & Baptisit churches have more predators than all chuches combined. Look it up before you start spouting stupid crap!!
The Catholic Church has done more to shoot itself in the foot than any other "modern" religion over the past few years. Its hierarchy is totally out of touch, and clings to the belief that its members are too stupid or too amoral to make any intelligent decisions on their own. Until such time as the church joins the rest of us in the 21st century, its membership will continue to decline.
The Catholic Church has not had a really progressive Pope since John 23rd, and suffers for it. It is sad that an institution which has the potential to do so much good is so caught up with preserving an agenda established hundreds of years ago, and with no relevance to modern times/conditions.
I am a Catholic, and, when in church, I see children from infancy to late teens with their parents and grandparents. I also see people from their 50's and older. I rarely see anyone who is in their 20's through their late 40's - the most vibrant age group needed if the church is to survive.
If and when the church establishes a leadership whose policies become relevant to that demographic group, it will once again become a vibrant religion. Unfortunately, no evidence of that has been forthcoming from the Vatican for a long, long time.
Redwood Ed,
Your ignorance of Catholicism and the Church is epic.
Maybe it is that way in your church but not in mine. This is not a popularity contest. The Church survives throughout the ages and has faced far worse than the current time.
There is still no single religion in the world as large as the Catholic Church. (If you say Ilsam is larger than you do not know that Islam is split into factions as is Christianity. You would not say that all Christians are Catholic just as you would not say that Sunnis are the same as Shiia.)
It continues to grow and more so in different places than before.
The Church endures. Let God handle it. He will anyway.
And the woman is where? Where is the female candidate for pope?
Little wonder my 13th Great-Grandfather disagreed with the views of the Catholic church, then. Good grief.
Justis4U,
Oh well, NO POPE FOR YOU!!!
Find the Pope in the Pizza contest.....
We haven't had a decent Pope since Pope John XXIII...those who followed, seemingly, did everything in their power to 'undo' what he had achieved. Hopefully the church will seek out someone 'real' who is definitely NOT already reside within the hierarchy. It's (past) time to see 'religion' as a tool of FAITH, NOT a bu$ine$$.
Your opinion does not count.
The Vatican needs a more diverse selection pool for Pope. The clear candidate is me; as an atheist WASP grandmother to two young women, the older of whom marched in the Boston Gay Pride* in support of her G/L pals, I promise to bring the church into 2013. This will enhance its sagging membership.
My first act will be to ship Bernard Law back to Boston in a coach seat between persons of considerable size, with a cranky seat kicking pre-schooler behind him. Once in Suffolk County, the D.A., in partnership with the Mass. Attorney General can charge Law with flight to avoid prosecution for aiding and abetting child abuse. Can't wait to hear his opinion of the cuisine in MCI/Concord.
* my grandbaby was in good company given that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Governor Deval Patrick also marched.
What's not to love about the 21st Century. Also, I do have a bit of a Jones for red shoes.
Technically, any adult, single Catholic male is eligible. That is a pretty large group.
You can't be an atheist and a WASP (white anglo-saxon Protestant), you'd have to be a WASA.
Hemorrhoidal ex altar boys, all. Whomever they get to wear the hat and ring, it'll be ---Boys, drop the drawers, bend forward, grab your ankles, and think of Jesus. What tree top hypocrisy. Aa.
Rob,
Looking for some action? You sound depressed.
This is predicted to be the last pope.
Actually, Malachy said the second after Pope Paul VI. Benedict was the third after Paul.
There goes the prediction.....
The name of the next Pope does not have to be named "Peter" to fulfill the Malachy prophesy. He will have some kind of tie to Rome, Italy and can choose the name "Peter".
All Popes and all Catholics have a tie to Rome.
It is doubtful that any new Pope would choose the name Peter.
This sounds pretty sad but the guy who would make a good Pope is Senator Mitch MocConnell. He is very conservative, he looks the part and he doesnt brush his teeth.
Pope Benedict has installed his cronies in positions of controlling power during his reign, so don't expect anything but more of the same attempts to roll back the clock (and reality). What the Catholic Church truly needs is a simple parish priest to lead it, not the ambitious power-seeking cabal now in control. So many of the boys wearing the beanies have never been a parish priest and could care less what the people need. Examples would be the power-hungry Raymond Burke who heads the Vatican's supreme court. Never spent on minute as a parish priest as he climbed the ladder to power. The Church would leap forward in relavence if a nun became Pope.
I strongly believe that the world needs a leader for all morality and that is why Lindsey Lohan should be the next pope. A first for woman everywhere and what a great victory for the United States of America.
One less pedophile in a position of power, this pope did the dirty work for the pope he replaced by covering-up the thousands of pedophile priests, I truly hope that these two popes rott in hell.
I am Catholic and proud to be so. I am not sure why the Pope needs to come into the 21st century when that is not what a Catholic believes. Why is it so easy to show hatred toward someone who is religious yet if you are a Christian you are told to have tolerance and acceptance of all? That isn't shown toward the Christian population and what their beliefs are. I am proud that the Catholic church is not changing with the times, rich in tradition and their beliefs. If that is not something you want for your life then don't practice the Catholic faith.
The old saying is that a cardinal who goes into the conclave as Pope (the front runners) normally comes back out as a cardinal. It is often very true.
No telling who will be chosen.
The Next Pope will be......
Barack Hussein Obama, who will change his name to Pope Trojanis 1.
His first decree will be to sanction birth control (Condoms, hence the name) abortion, and homosexual marriage.
Amazed at how STUPID some people are. More Roman Catholics in Brazil than the rest of the world. Could we possibly see theese Portugese speaking people finally represented on a World Platform?
Roses are Red- And Violets are Blue (I though they were called violets because violet is a primary color in the spectrum of light? ROYGBIV...any smart people know what the acronym ROYGBIV means? Anyhow I digress...Roses are Red and Violets are Blue, Even though the beginning of this poem contradicts itself, How about a New Pope "JEW"...????
How come the has never been a Jewish Pope? If Jews secretly run the world.....It's only true that the world needs a Jew...Peter Griffin
What about Peter Peter pumpkin eater?
Everyone please vote for Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana. What a wonderful and spiritual person. Love Cindy
We do not get a vote.
Why would you vote for him, though?
And, you turnip heads might just get suspicious when the Jesuit turned MD is doing your yearly prostate exam, and he has both hands on your shoulders. Aa.
Rob,
Still looking for a date, i see.
As far as whose next in line... which of these holier than thou have covered up pedophiles and/or even had suspicions about themselves? There is documented proof that the Vatican has hid files on these types of individuals. Pope John was notorious in doing so and they want to make him a Saint? It shows how corrupt the Catholic church is.
BigDan,
All of them are pedophiles? Most?
How do you know? Why do you hate Catholics?
Everyone sins and all sins can be forgiven. Your hate will destroy you.
How about make the janitor at St. Herbie's Church in downtown Toledo the next Pope?
I vote for Lou Brock. He was one of the greatest St Louis Cardinals of all time......GO LOU GO LOU!!!!
Why would anyone care? There are a gazillion catholics,and no pruff of GOD! Wars have been fought,millions killed in the name of the catholic church! A Roman Ceasar created it for the purpose of unighting his kingdom under one Ceasar,one god,one religion. It's eaiser to dominate the people when they are afraid of one GOD! Move on there is no story here,just the mindless rumblings of a person seeking a story