Bookmakers Predict Next Pope Could Be Black or Asian as Rumors Surface of Francis' Resignation

Speculation about the pontiff's intention to step down has grown in recent weeks after the Vatican said he would postpone a trip to Africa which had been scheduled for July.

Bookmakers have predicted that a Black or Asian cardinal could succeed Pope Francis should he resign.

Although the present pope, whose name was Jorge Bergoglio before he succeeded to the papacy, hails from Buenos Aires in Argentina, historically the Roman Catholic Church's hierarchy has been dominated by Europeans. However, this time bookmakers have been giving odds to cardinals from Africa and Asia as potential candidates to become the Holy Father.

Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, 73, has been given odds of 6/1 as a possible successor to Pope Francis. If elected, he would be the first Catholic pope of African descent. Another candidate, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines has been given odds of 5/1 by British bookmakers OLBG. In 2019, the 64-year-old Tagle was appointed by Francis to lead the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which oversees the church in Asia, Africa and other mission territories.

Rumors about the Pope's resignation have been circulating in the media lately after he postponed his African trip which was due to take place in July, and announced a meeting of cardinals to be held on 27 August, although that is traditionally a vacation month in the Vatican. The 85-year-old pontiff has been suffering from pain in his knee and from chronic sciatic nerve pain, and had to use a wheelchair recently. In 2014, when Francis was elected to replace Benedict XVI (who is now pope emeritus and aged 95), he told the media that he would consider abdication in case his health prevents him from fulfilling his tasks.