# new pope: top potential lists? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218 "2005-04-01T12:30:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![InvidiousCourgette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@InvidiousCourgette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InvidiousCourgette)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/21 "2005-04-01T20:01:39Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Figuratively speaking, they haven’t even rounded the first turn yet. Strictly speaking, the gun has not even been fired. (Do they fire guns for horse races?) ---
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/22 "2005-04-01T20:05:49Z")
Yeah, Rod.Maradiaga would be interesting, has lots of odd degrees (music, pyschology, etc.). Hummes in Brazil is in there, too. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/23 "2005-04-01T20:40:31Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Funeral and conclave arrangements are handled by the Camerlengo (the Chamberlain). But he’s nuts and murdered the old pope! Didn’t you read [Demons & Angels?](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671027360/qid=1112387946/sr=8-5/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i5_xgl14/102-9247468-1060917?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) ---
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/24 "2005-04-01T20:46:23Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > [I wonder if the apocryphal Cardinal Sicola will be in the running, as he was in the '70s?] He might be. But my feeling is that another Polish fellow, Cardinal Gozweisel, has the upper hand. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/25 "2005-04-01T20:46:29Z")
Shouldn’t that be “the silver hammer hasn’t been fired yet”? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/26 "2005-04-01T20:55:57Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > [I wonder if the apocryphal Cardinal Sicola will be in the running, as he was in the '70s? I had to think about that one 😃 ---
**Author:** ![InvidiousCourgette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@InvidiousCourgette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InvidiousCourgette)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/27 "2005-04-01T21:01:35Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Shouldn’t that be “the silver hammer hasn’t been fired yet”? That sounds all wrong. “The silver hammer has not yet been struck” has a much better sound to it. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/28 "2005-04-02T11:43:40Z")
I just heard on CNN that the Vatican is factoring in age—meaning they’re favoring older candidates because they want an interim guy. I don’t know if that’s a good risk to take. IIRC, John Paul was chosen because he was relatively young and healthy, on account of his predecessor only held his post for thirty days. What if they deliberately choose someone who seems only to have a few years left in him, and that person spends the majority of his popery infirm, instead of only a percentage of it? ---
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/29 "2005-04-02T13:58:31Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > I just heard on CNN that the Vatican is factoring in age—meaning they’re favoring older candidates because they want an interim guy. > > I don’t know if that’s a good risk to take. IIRC, John Paul was chosen because he was relatively young and healthy, on account of his predecessor only held his post for thirty days. What if they deliberately choose someone who seems only to have a few years left in him, and that person spends the majority of his popery infirm, instead of only a percentage of it? I agree the real solution is to make the post temporary or require age of abdication. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218/30 "2005-04-02T14:31:09Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > I just heard on CNN that the Vatican is factoring in age—meaning they’re favoring older candidates because they want an interim guy. This is basically what happened in the case of John XXIII, in his late 70s when elected to succeed Pius XII, who had been in office 19 years. Although John met expectations in not serving very long - less than 5 years - he did a great deal to transform the church in that short time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-pope-top-potential-lists/297218.md?page=1)