First Black Pope? Cardinals Peter Turkson of Ghana and Francis Arinze, Nigeria are Favorites to replace Pope Benedict XVI

Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana

Francis Arinze, the Nigerian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Peter Turkson, the Ghanian Cardinal, are both listed at best price odds of 4/1 and as short as 2/1 with some firms

Cardinal Francis Arinze, Nigeria

According to Paddy Power Plc,Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson is the favorite to become pope after Benedict XVI resigns at the end of the month, Turkson, 64, is at odds of 9-4, meaning a successful 4-euro ($5.35) bet would win a 9-euro ($12) profit, the Dublin-based bookmaker said today. Canada's Marc Ouellet, 68, is second favorite at 5-2, followed by Nigeria's Francis Arinze, 80, who is at 3-1. Pope Benedict announced today that he will resign on Feb. 28, two months before his 86th birthday, for health reasons, after serving for almost eight years.

This is the first such abdication of a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in more than 700 years.

"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry," the pontiff said.
A conclave of the church's cardinals will be called in Rome in March to select a new pope by Easter.

[Bloomberg News]