Guadalajara -
Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera is the Primate of Mexico, the highest ranking Roman Catholic official in a country where over 80% of the citizens regard themselves followers of the Church.
That, apparently, is good enough for some Irish bookies, who have wagered odds of 33-1 that Rivera will become the next Bishop of Rome as well. The Holy Father automatically receives that title upon being elected by the Church's College of Cardinals.
Vatican City announced the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI yesterday. Benedict, who was elected the Church's 265th pope in 2005, turns 86 on April 27. He said that he is no longer able to endure the physical rigors of the job, although his aides were quick to point out that his mind remains sharp and his intellect still tightly focused on the theological issues and debates which have been at the center of his professional life for more than 60 years.
Benedict, who was ordained a priest on June 29, 1951, is expected to return to his native Bavaria.
The last pope to resign from the Church, which often measures time by centuries rather than years, was Gregory XII in 1415. When there is a papal vacancy, which almost always has been occasioned by death, a conclave assembles to pick a new one. Cardinals who are over 80 cannot vote. There are 209 living Cardinals, of whom 118 will be eligible to participate in the upcoming election in Rome.
Others are in accord with the Irish book makers, who have placed Rivera number 15 on a short list of papal candidates. And a British online betting site gave him overwhelming 50-1 odds.
It's easy to see why so many believe that Rivera would be a good choice for the Church as it enters its third millenium. Heavily Catholic Mexico has a population of about 112 million and is very young, with a median age of only 26.
Cardinal Rivera, who is also the archbishop of Mexico City, was born in 1942 in the state of Durango. He was ordained a priest in 1966, and was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 1998. Rivera is in step with mainstream Catholic thought. He has avoided the label of ultra-conservative, or worse still - for those seeking internal promotion - that of a liberal reformer. Rivera frequently speaks out on behalf of Mexico's millions of impoverished, and on the horrors of the raging drug war, now in its 74th month.
Many experts believe there is a high probability that the next pope will be from Latin America because of its enormous Catholic population. Other candidates well-positioned for selection include cardinals from Argentina, Honduras, Brazil and Chile. Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, the archbishop of Havana, Cuba, has also been mentioned as a possibility, although his age (76) may work against him with some members of the College.
Feb. 13 - The Holy See has announced that Pope Benedict will sign his resignation at 8:00 p.m. on Feb. 28. Three hours before, he'll depart Vatican City for a papal retreat south of Rome, where he'll remain indefinitely. The papal conclave will open between March 15 and 20 to select his replacement.
Mar. 13 - The archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, was today mentioned as a possible "compromise candidate" for pope. Although the story was carried in this city's hometown newspaper, El Informador, it was first reported in the Italian press. Archbishop Robles Ortega is 64, and succeeded this interesting man.
Mar. 13 - No luck for Mexico today, but very good luck for the Spanish speaking world: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, former archbishop of Buenos Aires, elected first Latin American Pope.
Jan. 28 - Should narco criminals be forgiven? Mexico's Catholic Church implores victims to do so
Dec. 20, 2011 - Mexican church leaders say Pope doesn't support any political candidate
© MGRR 2013. All rights reserved. This article may be cited or briefly quoted with proper attribution or a hyperlink, but not reproduced without permission.
I think you are misunderstanding the betting odds. In Europe the order is reversed. Odds of 50 to 1 indicate that the winner will receive 50 for each 1 bet, if they are correct. Hardly overwhelming odds. He is a very long shot at 50 to one.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comment, particularly since I'm not a gambler. But I wrote this story exactly the way it appeared in the Spanish press (in Mexico) yesterday. They, too, it would seem, have the basics of European book making reversed. Thanks for writing.
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