Top contenders to be the next pope
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Top contenders to be the next pope
Cardinals from around the world gather this week in a conclave to elect a new pope following the stunning resignation of Benedict XVI. Take a look at who some of the contenders for the next pope are and then read the full Associated Press story.
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Cardinal Angelo Scola
Scola is seen as Italy's best chance at reclaiming the papacy, following back-to-back pontiffs from outside the country that had a lock on the job for centuries. He's also one of the top names among all of the papal contenders. (AP)
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Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer
Scherer is known for prolific tweeting, appearances on Brazil's most popular late-night talk show and squeezing into the subway for morning commutes. Brazil's best hope to supply the next pontiff is touted as an overall contender. (AP)
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Cardinal Marc Oullet
Canada's Ouellet once said that being pope "would be a nightmare." He would know, having enjoyed the confidence of two popes as a top-ranked Vatican insider. (AP)
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Cardinal Peter Erdo
Erdo is the son of a deeply religious couple who defied communist repression in Hungary to practice their faith. And if elected pope, the 60-year-old would be the second pontiff to come from eastern Europe. (AP)
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Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi
Ravasi, the Vatican's culture minister, is an erudite scholar with a modern touch - just the combination some faithful see as ideal for reviving a church beset by scandal and a shrinking flock. (AP)
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Cardinal Peter Turkson
Often cast as the social conscience of the church, Ghana's Turkson is viewed by many as the top African contender for pope. (AP)
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Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Dolan, the 63-year-old archbishop of New York, is an upbeat, affable defender of Catholic orthodoxy, and a well-known religious figure in the United States. (AP)
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Cardinal Leonardo Sandri
Leonardo Sandri, 69, is a Vatican insider who has run the day-to-day operations of the global church's vast bureaucracy and roamed the world as a papal diplomat. (AP)
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Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
Asia's most prominent Roman Catholic leader knows how to reach the masses: He sings on stage, preaches on TV, brings churchgoers to laughter and tears with his homilies. And he's on Facebook. (AP)
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Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco
The archbishop of Genoa, Bagnasco also is head of the powerful Italian bishops' conference. Both roles give him outsized influence in the conclave. At 70 years old, Bagnasco is seen as in the right age bracket for papal consideration. (AP)
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Cardinal Christoph Schonborn
Schoenborn is a soft-spoken conservative who is ready to listen to those espousing reform. That profile could appeal to fellow cardinals looking to elect a pontiff with the widest-possible appeal to the world's 1 billion Catholics. (AP)
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Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley
As archbishop of Boston, O'Malley has faced the fallout from the church's abuse scandals for nearly a decade.
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