Cardinal Christoph SchonbornCountry: Austria
Age: 60
Website: Archdiocese of Vienna
News: Schoenborn May Face Skepticism from Muslims
More: The Right Way to Apologize
Some say that Schonborn who leads the archdiocese of Vienna, could potentially be an innovative pope, particularly given his experience with restive Catholics in Austria. Generally, however, Schonborn is seen as someone who would continue in the style of John Paul II.
Cardinal Tarcisio BertoneCountry: Italy
Age: 70
Website: Diocese of Genoa
News: Bertone Raises Profile
More: "Don't Read the DaVinci Code!"
A one-time lieutenant of Cardinal Ratzinger within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Bertone, who is from Genoa, is another arch-conservative voice in the Church. Bertone recently made headlines by urging Catholics not to read or purchase the best-selling novel "The DaVinci Code."
Cardinal Joseph RatzingerCountry: Germany
Age: 78
Website: Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Review: The Ratzinger Rap Sheet
More: A Friendly Fight Between Two Cardinals and Listening to Ratzinger Make His Case
A staunchly conservative figure within the church, Ratzinger, from Bavaria, was the longtime leader of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversees Roman Catholic Church orthodoxy, up until his resignation in April 2005. He is known for his tough and often controversial statements on topics such as homosexuality, which he called "objectively disordered," and the validity of other Christian denominations.
Cardinal Jose da Cruz Policarpo Country: Portugal
Age: 69
Website: Diocese of Lisbon
The Lisbon patriarch is widely admired for his intellect and his interest in re-evangelizing Europe.
Cardinal Francis ArinzeCountry: Nigeria
Age: 72
Website: Prefect of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Speech: Arinze's Controversial Commencement Address
News: Supporters of Abortion "Not Fit" to Receive Communion
More: White Smoke for a Black Pope?
The 72-year-old Arinze, from Nigeria, who, up until recently, headed the Prefect of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome, has been a cardinal for more than 20 years. He previously spent two decades as the head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Cardinal Godfried Danneels Country: Belgium
Age: 71
Website: Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel
News: Cardinal Urges Papacy Term-Limit Debate
Danneels, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel, is viewed as an intellectual heavyweight, as well as a doctrinal moderate who has called for discussion on such contentious issues as mandatory celibacy and a greater role for women.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien Country: Scotland
Age: 67
Website: Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh
The Scottish cardinal, Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, has also been seen as open to considering changes on issues like priestly celibacy and the role of women in the church. Last year, he condemned the Scottish government for "child abuse" in launching a public sex-education campaign.
Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera Country: Mexico
Age: 62
Website: Archdiocese of Mexico
News: Ending U.S. 'Xenophobic Attitudes'
Latin America is home to nearly half the world's Catholics, and Rivera, Archbishop of Mexico, is a frequently mentioned candidate for the papacy. He has called for an end to "xenophobic attitudes" in the United States against illegal aliens from Mexico.
Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier Country: South Africa
Age: 64
Website: Archdiocese of Durban
Another African candidate, Napier, is Archbishop of Durban, South Africa and judged by many to be more likely than Arinze to be elected pope. He has criticized the South African government for promoting condoms in the fight against HIV/Aids.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio Country: Argentina
Age: 69
Website: Archdiocese of Buenos Aires
The 69-year-old Archbishop of Argentina is the only Jesuit on the papal short list. He was appointed a cardinal in 2001 and is seen as a contender mainly because of interest in a Latin American pope.
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga Country: Honduras
Age: 62
Website: Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa
News: Globalization of Poverty
More: Who Will Be the Next Pope?
Rodriguez, archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, is the most widely mentioned possible successor to the pope from Latin America. He has had his share of controversies, however, once comparing the clergy sexual abuse coverage to "the times of Nero and Diocletian, and more recently, of Stalin and Hitler."
Cardinal Claudio Hummes Country: Brazil
Age: 70
Website: Archdiocese of Sao Paulo
More: "Abortion a Serious Moral Crime"
A Franciscan, Hummes is Archbishop of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Traditional on doctrinal matters, he also supports greater decentralization in the church.
Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi Country: Italy
Age: 71
Website: Archdiocese of Milan
More: Stance on Gay Civil Rights
When Tettamanzi was assigned to lead the archdiocese of Milan, many said that, because of Milan's wealth and power, he was taking his place as a possible papal successor. Tettamanzi is considered to be a moderate.
Cardinal Ivan Dias Country: India
Age: 69
Website: Archdiocese of Bombay
The 69-year-old Archbishop of Bombay has served in locations from Scandinavia to Indonesia to Magadascar. He also served the Vatican Secretariat of State early in his career, working for nine years in Eastern Europe at the height of the Cold War.
Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa Country: Chile
Age: 71
Website: Archdiocese of Santiago
News: Pope Names New Cardinals
Archbishop of Santiago, Errazuriz is widely traveled and has worked in a variety of settings. He has served in the Vatican as the Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and is currently the President of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), heading a rather divided group of bishops.
Cardinal Walter Kasper Country: Germany
Age: 71
Website: Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
News: Jewish Group Urges Vatican to Open Archives
More: A Friendly Fight Between Two Cardinals and The Other German
An accomplished theologian and author, Kasper is widely respected for his work in Christian ecumenical relations. He is the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.
Cardinal Angelo ScolaCountry: Italy
Age: 63
Website: Archdiocese of Venice
News: Scola Raises Profile
More: Stance on Ordaining Women
Patriarch of Venice, Scola recently resigned as the head of the Pontifical Institute on Marriage and the Family, which has promoted the pope's conservative views on sexuality, abortion, and marriage. One of his main concerns is the "fracture" between the church and contemporary culture and he is interested in bioethics and the "culture of life."
