Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Scherer round out Paddy Power's top five -- and though betting on the next pope is illegal in the U.S., the Irish bookmaker is offering 20-1 odds on Cardinal Timothy Dolan, America's top Catholic.

CNN: Gambling with God: Staking a wager on the next pope

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Italian Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco round out Paddy Power's top five -- and though betting on the next pope is illegal in the U.S., the Irish bookmaker is offering 33-1 odds on Cardinal Timothy Dolan, America's top Catholic.

CNN: Gambling with God: Staking a wager on the next pope

When Marcos forces threatened to retaliate, the influential Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin, broadcast an appeal for "people power" to protect them.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | TIME 100: Corazon Aquino

Cokie Roberts, also speaking on Morning Edition, noted that Benedict, as Cardinal Ratzinger, had served as the de facto power behind the throne during the final years of his predecessor Pope John Paul II.

FORBES: Pope Benedict: Leadership Lesson for People in Power

That is a safeguard that Estrada's opponents, led by the leaders of People Power - former president Corazon Aquino and Catholic leader Cardinal Jaime Sin - want to preserve at all costs.

CNN: The Battle Lines Form

Historian David Kertzer notes that Cardinal Angelo Ratti became pope just a few months before Mussolini took power in Italy.

NPR: Vatican Opens Pre-WWII Papal Archive

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, is involved in a power struggle with his predecessor, the observers said.

CNN: Vatican: Pope not resigning over alleged papers leak

Some Vatican officials say the administration needs to be completely restructured, saying too much power is concentrated in the hands of the secretary of state, a position held by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone until Benedict's resignation in February.

WSJ: Bid to Remake Church Will Focus on Vatican Administration