Close behind are the Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Angelo Scola, at 5-1 and Argentina's Leonardo Sandri, at 7-1.

CNN: February 12, 2013 -- Updated 2035 GMT (0435 HKT)

At the moment, one of the leading papabili, or papal contenders, is 71-year-old Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, a high-profile position in the church.

WSJ: Contenders in Line to be Pope

Cardinal Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, heads a foundation to promote Muslim-Christian understanding, and looks after Afghanistan's only Catholic Church as if it were in his diocese.

CNN: New pope brings hope for an era of outreach