Pope Betting: Canadian Cardinal Favourite to Replace Pope Benedict XVI
Metro
Pope Benedict XVI has announced he is stepping down and the search is on for his successor. There’s no shortage of worthy candidates to become the leader of the Catholic Church worldwide and Canada’s Cardinal Marc Ouellet is the one of the early front-runners. The 68-year-old former Archbishop of Quebec is as short as 3/1 with Ladbrokes and 6/1 with Sky Bet to be appointed by his fellow cardinals. It’s a global church and the belief the Pope has to be Italian is long, long gone. Ouellet has worked impressively in his current role of vetting and selecting bishops and he could shape the Church for generations to come. One of his main rivals could be Cardinal Peter Turkson, 64, from Ghana. His appointment would be a huge shift in direction for the Church. He is extremely popular in the College of Cardinals and could be seen as a powerful leader, especially in Africa, and he is a best price if just 4/1 with Stan James. But if you are looking for a long shot then Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, is excellent value at 33/1 with Ladbrokes, William Hill, Bet Victor and Sky Bet. The 63-year-old is a gregarious communicator and another who is well-liked within the College of Cardinals. His New York ties and the city’s cosmopolitan lifestyle would make him a popular choice and his relatively youthful age means he could enjoy a long papacy like John Paul II. And don’t rule out Norberto Rivera Carrera, who is 50/1 with Sky Bet. He is slightly older at 71 and his election would signal the rise of the Catholic Church in Latin America. The Archbishop of Mexico City is a strong, fearless leader who criticised corruption in the Mexican government to such an extent the president considered a law which would ban priests from publicly talking about politics.
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