WHO WILL BE THE NEXT POPE BETTING ODDS

Pope John Paul II failed to appear at a midday Easter blessing on Monday for the first time in his 26-year papacy. The Pope traditionally makes a noontime appearance at his window overlooking St. Peter's Square on Easter Monday, a national holiday in Italy that marks the end of Holy Week celebrations.

However the 84-year-old pontiff, who has been recovering from throat surgery to ease a breathing crisis never appeared. The Pope managed only a few sounds during his Easter blessing on Sunday, and was clearly struggling and as sad it is, it can only be a matter of time before the College of Cardinals select the next Pope.

In anticipation of this event, Paddy Power have published a market on who they see as the most likely contenders to continue the fine work of Pope John Paul II.

When the time comes for a new pontiff to lead the world's 1.1 billion Catholics, John Paul's influence will still be considerable. He has appointed 115 of the 120 cardinals eligible to elect the next Pope, all with an eye to enforcing his conservative stance.

John Paul has also recruited cardinals from the poor but vibrant southern rim of Catholicism and from regions hardly ever represented before. New cardinals hail from as far away as Cameroon, Syria, and the Dominican Republic. This widening of the ranks complicates the task of figuring out who the next Pope will be.

There is one school of thought that a transitional pope may be the best way forward, for example one older than 75 who may not be around for too long. In that scenario, the next Pope could be Joseph Ratzinger, who has been John Paul's enforcer on Church doctrine. The German candidate is a 7/1 chance with Paddy Power.

Favourite with the Irish layers at 5/2 is Dionigi Tettamanzi of Milan who is being tipped by many Vatican insiders to be named Pope John Paul II's successor. Known for his diplomatic skills, the Italian has his conservative credentials in order.

What may count against Tettamanzi is the 450 years of Italian popes experienced by the Church. With so many Catholics in South America (Today nearly 65 per cent of Catholics live in Africa, Asia and Latin America), a pope from this part of the world may be an option, in which case Oscar Maradiaga (4/1) from Honduras would be in with a chance. Another option could be Cardinal Claudio Hummes of Brazil (12/1).
However, it should be noted that some senior members of the hierarchy fear that, with Christianity's influence on the wane in the West, there is a powerful need for a European Pope to be appointed to arrest decline.