Lankan Cardinal named as possible Pope contender: Forbes

The prestigious Forbes magazine has listed Sri Lankan Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith as potentially being in the running to Head the Catholic Church after Pope Benedict XVI announced his surprise resignation earlier this week.

The name of 65-year-old Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has been floated in a list of possible contenders, the Magazine said.

However, according to Forbes, several Italians and a Canadian Cardinal top the list of contenders to fill the papal vacancy.

The magazine quoted a Vatican Spokesman as saying that a new Pope would be elected by Easter, which falls on 31 March. Forbes said speculation was also rife that the next Pope would also come from Latin America, which is home to 42 per cent of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.

However, a quarter of the College of Cardinals that elect the new Pope in Conclave are Italian, the magazine said.

Pope Benedict, formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was elected in April 2005 by fellow cardinals after John Paul II died. He announced he would be stepping down by 28 February citing his advanced age.

(DB)