Nigerian or Canadian tipped to replace Pope

Pope Benedict XVI announced on Monday he will resign on February 28 because his age prevented him from carrying out his duties, an unprecedented move in the modern history of the Catholic Church.





Bookmakers tip Nigerian or Canadian as next pope


William Hill bookmakers named 80-year-old Arinze as their favourite to replace the pontiff following Monday's shock announcement of the pontiff's resignation with odds of 2-1, followed by Turkson at 5-2.




During the 2005 conclave of the Vatican's College of Cardinals that elected Benedict, Arinze was considered "papabile," or a potential successor to the late John Paul II.

"When we opened betting last time around, in 2005, Francis Arinze was our favourite," a William Hill spokesman told AFP.


"Also, when Ratzinger became pope, Arinze took over from him as cardinal bishop of Velletri-Segni (a Catholic diocese close to Rome) -- it could be that he'll follow in his footsteps again."


Arinze and Turkson, the head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace who is considered a progressive candidate, are among 18 Africans in the Vatican's College of Cardinals.

Ouellet, a respected theologian who heads up the world's bishops and is seen as a "modern conservative", has also been frequently named in Vatican circles as a possible successor to Benedict.





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