After the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, the world is waiting to see who will succeed him, as the Cardinals gather in Rome for the Papal Conclave. He was the first Latin American Pope, so did that signal a wider change within the Catholic Church and will we now see the first black or Asian Pope? Here are the top contenders to become the next Supreme Pontiff... former Bishop of the Cape Coast, would be the first black Pope and would have the appeal of reaching out to Africa. Born in Ghana, he was sent by as a peace envoy to South Sudan. He occupies the middle ground on the tricky subject of gay relationships, arguing that laws in many African countries are too harsh but that the views of Africans on the subject must be respected. Turkson was the bookies' favourite at one point during the 2013 conclave, when Francis was chosen.Tagle, the former Archbishop of Manila, has emerged as the frontrunner in the betting markets. He would have the appeal of being the first Asian Pope, the region with the fastest-growing Catholic population. He has opposed abortion rights in the Philippines but would be considered one of the more liberal candidates. He has complained that the Catholic church has been too harsh towards gay and divorced couples, and that this has hampered its evangelical work.
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