BB FANS

Mon, Apr. 04, 2005

Associated Press


DUBLIN, Ireland - While the world discusses the passing of one pope and imminent election of another, Ireland is putting its money where its mouth is - and having a bet on Pope John Paul II's successor.

Paddy Power PLC, Ireland's largest bookmaking chain, resumed betting Monday in its shops and on the Internet on the question, "Who will be the next pope?" The firm suspended betting Sunday in a gesture of respect to John Paul, who died Saturday, but quickly resumed because of interest from gamblers worldwide.

The early favorites were Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi of Milan and Francis Arinze of Nigeria, both listed at 11-4 odds. That means a winning $4 bet would pay out $15.

The biggest bet so far, $1,300, has been on Tettamanzi. The company said most bets were for much smaller amounts.

And at one central Dublin outlet of Paddy Power, Seamus Hegarty spent a cool, calculating 20 minutes before putting his 10 euro note on a 25-1 shot: Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico.

"The money I lose on this I'll make back on the British election," predicted Hegarty, 49, who says he simply had to place a bet on someone so that he could maximize his enjoyment of watching events unfold from the Vatican. "I'll be doing a Mexican wave every time the news is on the telly," he said.

Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras was third with 9-2 odds, followed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany and Cardinal Claudio Hummes of Brazil, both with odds of 7-1.

Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino of Cuba, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli of Florence and Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Austria came next, all on odds of 14-1. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re of Italy stood alone at 16-1, while three others - Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos of Colombia, and Cardinals Crescenzio Sepe and Giacomo Biffi, both of Italy - merited 18-1.

Although not listed on its Web page, the Dublin-based bookie also was offering joke bets. Father Dougal Maguire, the fictional dim-witted priest on the British sitcom "Father Ted," attracted sufficient betting that his odds were shortened from 100,000-1 to 250-1.

I'm not bothered to read the odds - but I reckon I'd bet on Honduras or Argentina (oh dear, I'm making it sound like Miss World now - don't know the cardinals' actual names).

But wouldn't I be chuffed if YOUR man - Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor - ended up as Pope - you can't get a more Irish name than that surely!

There is a saying that if a cardinal walks into the conclave as pope, he comes out a cardinal - in other words, the favourite candidate doesn't usually end up 'getting the gig'. Pope John Paul II was not expected to win - apparently he was a compromise candidate.

Funny way of electing Pope, though. A bunch of elderly men get together, and rather than having a debate, they all write one name on a ballot paper - and keep at it until someone gets a proper majority. And then they can't say how the voting went, or they're threatened with being thrown out of the Church. It sounds like something that would have happened behind the Iron Curtain years ago - let's hope God is guiding them!

let me think .. maybe the next pope will be
a. a dodering old pensioner
b, A man
c .detached from reality
d. Sexualy frustrated and unknowing and ignorantof women
e amd most of all Italian
d and because its so releveant i will say again A MAN

oops i said I would stay off this topic

I don't think there's any reason for you to stay off this topic, HOS.

The MAN thing is sadly true - nothing wrong with men, of course, but in the Catholic church, the vast majority of participants are women.

Probably due to their age, they will be a bit 'detached from reality'.

It's weird that it's still dominated by Italians.

Sexually frustrated and unknowing and ignorant of women? - perhaps less so than your average man in his 70's or 80's. Celibacy can free people to have meaningful relationships with all sorts of people.

I am guessing you're not Catholic HOS

Its a very strange rule for when you consider the early popes were not celebrate.

and unfortunate that those that are celebrate because of faith think that abstention is the way forward with birth control and HIV when genetically we are designed to breed and celibacy is against the recreational drive built into all gods creatures

Can I say I believe in God just not in most religions, especially the catholic faith unless of course I wish to pay cash to them to reduce my time in purgatory which was a big money maker for them back in the 17th century before they went into selling religious artefacts big time

Dear lord I belong to a spiritualist church.. eek people in glass houses and all that

The next pope..ahhh yes....so much conspiracy on this....
some of the doomsters are paranoid that the infamous 'black pope' will be elected -although some would love it, since this particular guy from Nigeria I believe makes John Paul Mk'2 look like a libertarian

In any case, it'll be interesting to see who the cardinals decide they want to lead 1 billion people. Quite a big role really

Calrissian: Not a catholic, thus ineligible to be the next pope

******
Ps. i think i read correctly that technically speaking ANY MALE catholic in the world is eligible to be elected as the new pope - although its highly unlikely the electors will vote for such an outside.

Sounds mildly familiar, like a couple of recent competitions on the telly... (oh dear, Bad(ish) Taste Alert )