Speculation mounts for possible Canadian pontiff

Cardinal Marc Ouellet 'well-known' throughout world

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, seen in 2010, has been mentioned as a frontrunner to succeed Pope Benedict XVI.
(The Catholic Register.)

As soon as Pope Benedict XVI announced he would abdicate the Chair of St. Peter, speculation began that a Canadian, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, might be the next Pope. Deborah Gyapong reports from Ottawa:

The cardinal’s picture has graced the covers of newspapers and magazines in Canada and elsewhere; his name appears in the top three of most Vatican-watchers' lists; even the odds-makers rank him at or near the top.

Cardinal Ouellet has beautiful spiritual qualities, deep spiritual convictions, Quebec Archbishop Gerald Cyprien Lacroix said. He noted the cardinal’s facility with languages, and his knowledge of the Church from time spent in the Roman Curia, in South America, and several parts of Canada.

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