Asia's bet to become the next pope leaves it up to God

Fate of Asian Francis’ rests ultimately on what kind of pontiff cardinal electors want

- Raul Dancel

If bookmakers and crypto investors are right on the money, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle may soon become the next head of the 1.4 billion-strong Roman Catholic Church.

He is an odds-on favourite to succeed Pope Francis and become the first Asian pontiff in modern times. British bookmaker William Hill has his odds at 3-1, just behind Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who has 9-4 odds. The website Oddschecker has the two cardinals tied.

There is even a video game featuring a fantasy football team of cardinals with Cardinal Tagle as the No. 3 man on the team, behind cardinals Matteo Zuppi and Parolin.

Choosing the next pope, however, is not as simple as running the numbers and balancing the odds.

It is an arcane process shrouded in centuries-old traditions and rituals. This process is set to start on May 7, when 133 cardinals will meet in a conclave, sequestered inside the majesty of the Sistine Chapel, to cast their votes.

In this game for the Catholic throne, there is no certainty. Being an early favourite may even be a drag.

A case in point: Many bookmakers had not even counted then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as among the front runners in the race for the papacy in 2013. Yet, after giving a powerful four-minute speech and two days into the conclave, he emerged as Pope Francis.

This is why the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has asked Filipinos to stop campaigning for Cardinal Tagle.

"It's not prudent for the people to publicly push for Cardinal Tagle... The independence of the electors should be respected, and the least that we can do is to pray for Cardinal Tagle and the rest of the cardinal electors," CBCP executive secretary Jerome Secillano said.

A PRIEST'S PRANK

Still, there is so much going for Cardinal Tagle.