 Suffering ill health: Pope Benedict XVI Following the surprise announcement today that Pope Benedict XVI will resign on February 28, it's being widely speculated that the Vatican may look towards the third-world for a replacement pontiff.
The International Business Times reports that following the election of two successive non-Italian popes the conclave may be expected to push hard for a return of the papacy to one of their own. However, a decline in popularity for the Catholic Church in Italy may see them concentrating on cardinals from third-world nations, where the church is growing in popularity. The list of cardinals being concidered as a replacement for the 85-year-old pontiff includes four Italians, two Africans, two South Americans and an Australian. It's hoped that a new pope will be in place by the end of March. Seven of the cardinals being concidered are also 70 years of age or older. Among those being discussed as possible successors are: Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria, 80; Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana, 64; Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada, 68; Cardinal Leonardo Sandri of Argentina, 69; Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi of Italy, 70; Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa, Italy, 69; Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan, Italy, 70; Cardinal Tarsicio Bertone of Italy, the Vatican's secretary of state, 77; Cardinal Christoph Schnoborn of Austria, 67; Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergogli of Argentina, 75; Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, 62; Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith of Sri Lanka, 64; Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico, 70; and Cardinal George Pell of Australia, 70.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |