‘Papabili’ Parolin, Tagle Lead Field for British Bookmakers

Vatican City: Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin of Italy and Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle are leading the field of 'papabili' tipped to succeed the late Pope Francis, British bookmakers are saying. The Italian is currently favored with a 35 percent chance, while the Filipino holds a 25 percent chance. According to Philippines News Agency, other contenders in the top ranks include Hungarian Peter Erdo, Portuguese Jose Tolentino, and two other Italians-Matteo Zuppi of Bologna and Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. African cardinals Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Peter Turkson, and Robert Sarah are also in the mix as potential candidates. Some bookmakers have not excluded two individuals over 80 years old who are technically ineligible to participate in the Conclave but remain eligible on paper. These individuals are Italian Angelo Scola, the former archbishop of Milan, and Canadian Marc Ouellet. Meanwhile, the British tabloid Daily Mail has utilized artificial intelligence to predic t the new Pope, which also pointed to Cardinal Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Holy See, as the likely successor. The conclave is anticipated to begin on May 5.