Princes among the 'papabili', the men who could be pope
Princes among the 'papabili', the men who could be pope
Agence France-Presse, Vatican City
There is no clear favorite to succeed Pope John Paul II as the Roman Catholic Church's 264th leader, but several cardinals are thought to have the calibre, charisma and political clout to prevail at a conclave of their peers.
The Italians
Dionigi Tettamanzi: Aged 71, the Italian-born Archbishop of Milan -- the world's most populous diocese with five million souls -- is a strong contender, especially if cardinals return to tradition and plump for an Italian. A noted theologian, his several books on moral issues help give him a high profile.
Angelo Scola: At 63, the Patriarch, or archbishop, of Venice is part of the Church's younger set. His involvement with the conservative Catholic movement "Communion and Liberation" lends him political weight. A moderate, he is seen as a frontrunner.
Tarcisio Bertone: Another member of the Italian set, Bertone, 70, sealed his conservative credentials with a scathing attack on the bestselling The Da Vinci Code for denigrating Church tenets. A former deputy leader of the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he is archbishop of Genoa.
Angelo Sodano: As Vatican secretary of state for 15 years, he is at the center of the political intrigue at the Holy See. Held posts in Ecuador, Uruguay and Chile as a Vatican diplomat. At 77, is vice-president of the college of cardinals which will elect the next pope.
Giovanni Battista Re: At 71, he is number three in the Roman Curia. Close to John Paul II as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and head of the pontifical commission for Latin America. Pulled off the difficult political trick of organizing a successful papal visit to the Holy Land in 2000.
The Indian
Ivan Dias: If elected, would become pope within days of his 69th birthday on April 14. Dias, archbishop of Bombay, carries the hopes of the Indian subcontinent. A friend of Mother Teresa, he was elevated to cardinal by John Paul II in 2001.
The German Speakers
Joseph Ratzinger: Ratzinger, at 77, is many people's favorite. With his trademark white hair, this staunch German conservative vigorously opposed the South American Church's liberation theology. Known as 'God's Rottweiler', his position as the enforcer of Church doctrine, means he has hefty political and spiritual credentials.
Christoph Schoenborn: A youngster at 60, the Vienna archbishop is seen as a moderate. Follows in John Paul II's footsteps as an ecumenical bridge-builder with eastern Orthodoxy. Played a key role in the crisis affecting the Austrian Catholic Church when his predecessor was accused of paedophilia.
The African
Francis Arinze: For many, the best non-Italian bet. Arinze, 72, is the only African being considered as a possible successor to John Paul II. Knows the Vatican well as leader of the Congregation for Divine Worship. A conservative, would become the second-ever African pope after Gelasius I (492-496).
The Latin Americans
Oscar Andres Rodriguez Mariadaga: As a group, the Latin Americans rival the Italians as a powerful voting bloc and could deliver the continent's first pontiff. The Honduran cardinal, 62, is the youngest of them. A charismatic leader, he campaigned with Bono for debt relief. A staunch defender of Latin American countries which between them account for half the world's Catholics, 50 percent of them in poverty. Holds a pilot's licence and he plays a mean saxophone.
Claudio Hummes
Archbishop of Sao Paolo since 1998, Hummes, 70, came to Italy and obtained a doctorate in philosophy in 1962 before specialising in ecumenism. His tough side came out when he opened his church to trade unionists fighting the 1964-1985 military regime, and he was made a cardinal in 2001. He has directed his evangelical efforts in Brazil on wooing back disaffected Catholics in Brazil and championing the poor.
Dario Castrillon Hoyos
The 75-year-old Colombian is prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy, heading the 400,000 priests worldwide, and was a close collaborator of John Paul II. A member of Opus Dei and the Legionnaires of Christ, he has rejected the philosophies of Rousseau, Kant, Marx and Freud "for spreading an erroneous vision of original sin."