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."