The papal conclave is underway. I went to Paddy Power to see the latest odds on the next Pope (the Roman Catholic leader and Bishop of Rome, not the businessman).
Archbishop Angelo Scola (Italy) 9/4
Cardinal Odilo Scherer (Brazil) 4/1
Cardinal Peter Turkson (Ghana) 6/1
Cardinal Marc Ouellet (Canada) 10/1
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (Italy) 10/1
Cardinal Christoph Schonborn (Austria) 14/1
Cardinal Sean O’Malley (United States) 14/1
Cardinal Raymond Burke (United States) 16/1
One of my favorites, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, has respectable odds (20/1), but many observers do not believe that he is in the running.
There are a few amusing candidates on the list, including:
Atheist Richard Dawkins (UK) 666/1
Musician Bono (Ireland) 1000/1
Television character Father Dougal McGuire (played by actor Ardal O’Hanlon on the British television show Father Ted) 1000/1
