Potential successors to Pope Benedict XVI
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, a Canadian, oversees the Vatican department that vets potential bishops. He embodies the conservatism of the last two popes and speaks fluent Spanish. (Vincenzo Pinto / AFP/Getty Images)
Cardinal Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, has promoted dialogue and between Christianity and Islam. The son of a truck driver, Scola is regarded as down to earth and accessible while also a man of deep learning. (Antonio Calanni / Associated Press)
Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, a Brazilian of German descent, is archbishop of Sao Paulo. About 40% of the world’s Catholics live in Latin America, and some clerics in the region say it is time for a Latin American pope. (Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP/Getty Images)
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican’s culture czar, has impressed some Vatican-watchers with his engagement of atheists and agnostics. He has tried to boost the church’s profile in the worlds of art and science. (Andrew Medichini / Associated Press)
