Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines are emerging as the bookmakers’ favorites to succeed the late Pope Francis, according to betting odds released in the UK.
Parolin currently leads the field with a 35% chance, followed by Tagle at 25%.
Also ranking high among the so-called papabili are Cardinal Péter Erdő of Hungary, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça of Portugal, and two fellow Italians — Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops’ conference, and Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. African contenders include Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of the DRC, Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, and Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea.
Interestingly, some bookmakers have listed even prelates over the age of 80 — technically ineligible to vote in the Conclave but still canonically valid candidates — such as Italy’s Cardinal Angelo Scola, former Archbishop of Milan, and Canada’s Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
In a curious twist, the British tabloid Daily Mail even asked artificial intelligence who the next Pope might be — and once again, Cardinal Parolin came out on top.
The Conclave is currently expected to begin on Monday, May 5.
