Who Had the Gift of Prophecy?

The conclave of cardinals that chose 78-year-old Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany to be the new pope last week made much of its counter-surveillance plans. But that didn’t stop some from handicapping the super-secret vote. Who looked accurately into the future of the 1.1-billion-member church, and who showed pope-picking fallibility?

-- Michael Soller

“Latin America has an extraordinary chance of having a pope in the Vatican.”

--Honduran President Ricardo Maduro, quoted in the Los Angeles Times

“I wouldn’t be thinking that he would become pope.”

--Christopher Arinze on his brother, Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, speaking to the British Broadcasting Corp.

“In Rome, the cardinals enjoy a huge number of Africans becoming Christians, but they don’t think we are ready for high positions.”

--South African Archbishop Buti Tlhagale in the National Catholic Reporter

“Those hoping that the college of cardinals ... will elect a liberal are living in a surreal, steam-powered dreamscape.”

--comment sent by e-mail to the BBC

“When the conclave begins, a European epoch may begin to end.”

--columnist George Will

“Those who don’t speak Italian are out. It’s like wanting to be the secretary-general of U.N. and not speaking English.”

--Italian writer Vittorio Messori in the New York Times (NOTE: The new pope speaks Italian.)

3-1: Irish bookie Paddy

Power’s Monday odds that Benedict would be the new pope’s name

7-2: Power’s odds for favorite Arinze at noon Tuesday; Ratzinger, at 11-2, was second-favorite

“The very fact that Ratzinger’s name has saturated the Italian media makes him a risky contender on which to place a wager.”

--CNN.com

22% in a Beliefnet poll gave Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels their vote Monday; Ratzinger got 15%.

“The age of the new pope might matter more than his country of origin. Cardinals are said to favor an older candidate.”

--Los Angeles Times editorial

“It seems to me that an ultraconservative such as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger barely has a chance.”

--Swiss theologian Hans Kueng to Agence France-Presse

“I am absolutely sure that Ratzinger will be the next pope.”

--unnamed Vatican official in National Catholic Reporter