Papal contenders
With the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI as head of the Catholic Church, the cardinals in the papal conclave will have to decide whether it's time to look outside of Europe for the next leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. The papacy was considered the realm of Italian prelates for centuries until a Pole, John Paul II, was elected as pontiff in 1978, to be followed in 2005 by the German-born Benedict.
The following are considered leading contenders for the next pope. The explanations of what makes each a contender is provided by Inside the Vatican magazine senior editor Delia Gallagher.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York
Archbishop Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary
Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras
Photo caption: Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga speaks at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on the "moral dimension" June 12, 2006, in Washington, D.C.
Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston
Photo Caption: Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, celebrates Noon Mass at The Chapel Pastoral Center February 22, 2013, in Braintree, Mass.
Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi of Italy
Photo Caption: Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi poses during the presentation to the press of Pope Benedict XVI's new book, "Childhood of Jesus," November 20, 2012, at the Vatican.
Archibishop Leonardo Sandri of Argentina
Photo caption: Archibishop Leonardo Sandri celebrates mass in St. Peter's Basilica on April 13, 2005, in Vatican City.
Archbishop Odilo Pedro Scherer of Brazil
Photo caption: Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer greets a worshiper while celebrating Ash Wednesday mass at Se Cathedral in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 13, 2013.
Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Austria
Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan, Italy
Photo caption: Cardinal Angelo Scola celebrates a mass on February 12, 2013, in Milan's Duomo cathedral.
Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, The Philippines
Photo caption: Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle sits during a mass at a Catholic gathering in Manila on February 16, 2013.
Cardinal Peter Kodwao Appiah Turkson of Ghana
Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz of Italy
Photo caption: Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz arrives for talks ahead of a conclave to elect a new pope on March 4, 2013, at the Vatican.
Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea
Cardinal Rivera Carrera of Mexico
Photo caption: Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera attends mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on April 12, 2005.