Best New Bets on the Pope: Next Conclave Odds from Three Bookies

The best bookies have already released the next conclave odds, though Pope Francis enjoys good health. Still, there must be a reason for people to make early bets on the next pope, besides ill-will.

Why now?

In 2017, rumor that Pope Francis might soon follow Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI in retirement, made international headlines. Supposedly, the rumor stems from sources close to the 80-year old pontiff. Considering Francis’ popularity, it’s not surprising that catholics have a hard time processing the possibility of Pope Francis’ early retirement. Though, those who paid close attention to the Pope’s words were probably much less shocked: the idea of a short-lived papacy is not new to Pope Francis.

The roots of Pope Francis retirement rumors

Even at the dawn of his service, Pope Francis hinted many times on a brief papacy. “Two or three years and then [makes a sound and gesture] up to the house of the of the Father,” he said in 2014 to French Radio journalist, Anais Martin. During the same interview, he talked about the effects of aging and our mortality: “[…] at a certain age there is not the capacity to govern well […].” When asked about the historic retirement of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, Francis said:

The question is: when will Pope Francis retire? In April of 2017, Pope Francis has once again referred to his mortality, when talking about the upcoming Catholic Church’s World Youth Day, that is set to be in Panama in 2019. “I don’t know if it will be me, but the pope will be in Panama,” he said. At the same time we must note that, thankfully, Pope Francis seems to enjoy great health and besides his remarks there are no signs pointing towards sede vacante, the vacancy of the Holy See.

The ground for the candidate to be the next pope

One things is sure: a pontiff has huge influence on the next conclave, as he’s the one appointing new cardinals. A pope’s choice of cardinals is telling of their vision for the future of the Catholic Church. To this day, Pope Francis appointed 61 cardinals throughout four consistories. Experts say, that the pope is leaning towards liberal candidates and a globally diverse group of cardinals. This means that the chances of the next pope coming from Africa or Asia are higher than ever before.

Next Conclave Odds

Now that the background is set and clear, it’s time to take a look at the top candidates to become the next pope. There are characteristics and views that can help or ruin a candidate’s chances of becoming the next Pontiff of Rome. The following list was complied with the pros and cons to every nominee. Even though it’s tempting to go with the best odds, keep in mind that Pope Francis was a longshot during the last conclave. His odds were 25/1, 40/1, and 33/1 and so on. Therefore, it might be profitable to bet on one of the less favored papal candidates.

Who will be the next pope?