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February 26, 2005
Betting on the Pope
With Pope John-Paul II's health in question again, Irish bookmakers have opened betting on who will succeed him, proving, once again, bookies will set odds for anything - however distasteful.
Odds from bookie Paddy Power annointed Dionigi Tettamanzi, the Archbishop of Milan, the favourite at 5-2. Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria weighs in at 3-1, followed by Cuba's Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino at 11-2. Florence Archbishop Ennio Antonelli, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras round out the top five, both with 6-1 odds. If you prefer the long-shot, you could place a wager on South African Archbishop Wilfried Napier (33-1).
Still, the bet might not be worth your while. A statue in Rome's Basilica of Saint John Lateran is said to moisten when the death of a Pope is imminent. A priest who touched the stone carving of Pope Sylvester II on Friday, confirmed the marble is dry.
"The stone feels cold. But dry," said Father Edoardo. "So the Pope will live."
Further Reading:
Bookies open betting on next pope (Agence France Presse)
Stone carving says Pope will live (Reuters)
Posted by maxthecat on February 26, 2005 at 09:43 AM | Comments (0)
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