So DU... who's going to be the next Pope?

[EnergizedLib]

8. Here's what I think will happen

Most of the electorate came with Pope Francis ordaining the Cardinals.

An adage says someone who enters a conclave a pope leaves as a cardinal, which makes me skeptical of Tagle, Turkson, etc.

But I do think the next pope will come from somewhere outside of Europe again. Turkson being a favorite, and those papabile entering a conclave (Ratzinger being an exception) rarely get elected. I saw this with Angelo Scola in 2013.

Marc Oullet, Sean O’Malley and Scola all are still eligible to be pope, but unlike 2013, they cannot vote due to having seen their 80th birthday. Robert Sarah is almost 80 himself.

I don’t think it’ll be a complete unknown, but cardinals might want someone more conservative than Tagle after the progressivism of Pope Francis. Jorge Bergoglio was a surprise in 2013, but he wasn’t unheard of before then, given how well he did in 2005.

I have a never say never approach to this, but I can’t imagine the rest of the world going along with an American pope, especially at this moment. A pope from the USA could very well happen one day, don’t see it happening.

My pick for who I think gets elected? Odilo Scherer, archbishop of Sao Paolo. He’s from outside of Europe, conservative, is up there, but neither too young or too old, is a contender but not a front runner. He’s someone whom I’d watch.

I’m not necessarily rooting for or against any one candidate, just what I think will happen.