A Pope Resigns, V (The Candidates)

I learned a long time ago, when it comes to authority and bishops in the church, "dems that know ain't talkin', and dems that talk don't know."  

There is also the well-known saying of Italians, "The pope who enters the conclave, exits a cardinal." 

With the sudden resignation of Pope Benedict XVI a week ago, the field for a new pope seems wide open.  He has not put his arm around any particular Cardinal.  The discussions among the Cardinals will include these questions:

What is the temperament of the candidate?  Can he (and his age) stand up to the strain of the ministry?  Does the candidate have the intellectual ability to teach at a papal level?  After two academics, do we want a pastor, or a evangelist, or manager of the unruly Vatican bureaucracy?  Can the candidate bring together various stripes of Catholics?  How well can the candidate relate to the decline of Catholicism in the West, and the growth of Catholicism in Africa and the  Southern Hemisphere?
  
With the caution that nobody really knows the thinking of 117 Cardinal electors, here are some names of prominent candidates who are being mentioned in news reports.  John Allen, the longtime Vatican reporter for National Catholic Reporter, is beginning a series of in-depth articles on papabile today.  Find his excellent reporting at  www.ncronline.org , under "Benedict Resigns" section.  

In alphabetical order.

Marc Ouellet.  68, Canada.  Earned doctorate in theology from Gregorian University in Rome.  Served as professor in seminaries until named Archbishop of Quebec in 2002.  Appointed by Pope Benedict to Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops in 2010.  

Gianfranco Ravasi.  70, Italy.  President of the Pontifical Council for Culture since 2008.  Well known for charismatic personality, who relates well with young people.  Was a professor of Scripture in Milan.  This week he was chosen by Pope Benedict to give the annual Lenten retreat to the pope and all chief Vatican officials.

Leonardo Sandri.  69, Argentina. Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.  A lifelong papal diplomat, he is of Italian ancestry yet born in Buenos Aires.  Formerly third in command in the Secretariat for State.  

Angelo Scola.  71, Italy.  Holds doctorates in philosophy and theology.  Ordained a bishop at age 50.  Appointed Patriarch of Venice in 2002, and Archbishop of Milan in 2011.  Was president of the Italian Bishops Conference.  Known for open style.  Probably the most prominent and visible of the Italian Cardinals.  

Peter Turkson.  64, Ghana.  President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace since 2009.  Appointed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2003, the first ever for Ghana.  Studied in the U.S. prior to priesthood ordination.  Earned a doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.  Named Archbishop of Cape Coast at age 44.  

Here are some media darlings.  I don't think that they have as much chance as the above mentioned Cardinals, but they relate well to the Vaticanistas, and so get the press.

In alphabetical order:

Timothy Dolan.  63, U.S.A.  Archbishop of New York and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Affible former rector of the North American College in Rome, and former Archbishop of Milwaukee.  Enjoys his beer and brats.

Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga.  70, Honduras.  Has doctorates in philosophy and theology.  Has been Archbishop of Tegucigalpa since 1993.  Has done many speaking engagements in U.S.  He has served as papal representative to the International Monetary Fund.  

Christoph Shonborn.  68, Austria.  Archbishop of Vienna.  Was principal writer of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Another intellectual heavyweight.

Luis Antonio Tagle.  55, The Phillipines.  Just elevated to College of Cardinals in November 2012, after appointed Archbishop of Manila.  Received his doctorate in theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.  Known as humble and caring for the poor.

Long shots.  These are just guesses of mine.

Odilo Scherer.  63, Brazil.  Archbishop of San Paulo, the largest diocese in the largest Catholic country.  Has Roman doctorate in theology, and served in Congregation of Bishops before returning to his home diocese.  Could be a compromise candidate from outside Italy.

Diarmuid Martin.  68, Ireland.  Archbishop of Dublin since 2004.   A Vatican bureaucrat, he worked in the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Council for Peace and  Justice.  Was the Vatican's chief representative to the U.N. at Geneva for five years.  He has become known for addressing forcefully and thoroughly the clerical abuse scandal in Ireland.  He is not a Cardinal, and would be the first non-Cardinal elected pope since 1831.