With Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation just around the corner, speculation on who will be the next pope is going strong. There is a range of candidates, but oddly enough, a strong indicator of the most popular candidate may be an unusual source: papal betting.
Betting on who will become the next pope is illegal in the United States and in many European countries because it is considered an election, according to USA Today. However, it does provide an interesting window into which candidate is the most popular worldwide.
According to a popular Irish bookmaking website, the five most popular contenders are:
1. Cardinal Peter Turkson (Ghana)—Born in Western Ghana to a Methodist mother and a Catholic father, Turkson is “generally seen as affable, open, with a lively sense of humor and charmingly frank,” according to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR).
2. Archbishop Angelo Scola (Italy)—The Archbishop of Milan, Scola, is popular and often in the spotlight. He comes from the same intellectual school of thought as Benedict XVI. Some worry that as an Italian, Scola may be too enmeshed in the politics of the papacy to win the vote, according to NCR.
3. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (Italy)—Born in Romano Canavese, Italy, Bertone has been called the pope’s “right hand man.” His recent time in the spotlight has been on the sidelines of a Vati Leaks scandal.
