Why the next pope won’t be French

March 12 2013 14:49:01

Why the next pope won’t be French

France 24

AFP Photo

As speculation intensifies ahead of the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, beginning on Tuesday, several cardinals are widely considered favourites -- among them, Italians, South Americans, Asians, and Africans.

But none of the four French cardinals eligible to be elected are on the short list.

In other words, 68-year-old Jean-Pierre Ricard (archbishop of Bordeaux), 62-year-old Philippe Barbarin (archbishop of Lyon), 70-year-old André Vingt-Trois (archbishop of Paris), and 69-year-old Jean-Louis Tauran shouldn’t get their hopes up.

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