18 Men Who Could Be the Next Pope With more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide, the face of the church is changing. It's something the cardinal electors may keep in mind when the conclave to elect a new pope begins sometime in March, said Matthew Bunson, general editor of the Catholic Almanac and author of "We Have a Pope! There are 115 cardinal electors who will vote in this conclave, and they almost always elect one of their own. Joseph Ratzinger, an intellectual and respected cardinal from Germany, was the front-runner for the papacy in 2005, Bunson said. Coming into this conclave, there are no strong favorites. "I think the cardinals are going to take their time and deliberate to find the exact person who is needed," Bunson said. I really do think it is wide open right now, more than ever. Cardinal Angelo Scola, 71, Italy "If we had to pick a front-runner, it's him," Bunson said. Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, 70, Italy Cardinal Peter Erdo, 60, Hungary At 60 years old, Erdo could have a lengthy papacy, bringing stability to the Vatican. The Hungarian is president of the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe. When he was named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2003, Erdo said he wanted "to contribute to the strengthening of religious and spiritual life in the face of new challenges and problems that the church in Hungary now faces," the Catholic News Service reported. Since then, Erdo has had worldwide reach, traveling on behalf of the Vatican. "He is very much an intellectual, certainly a supporter of the New Evangelization and he represents a staunchly Catholic country," Bunson said. He is somebody I have been looking at as a real potential dark horse. Erdo has written about the oppression under a communist regime and has pondered the best ways to restore faith to his country. In 2006, he wrote a letter to President George W. Bush expressing gratitude for the American support of his predecessor, Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty, who had been arrested, tortured and later lived for 15 years within the U.S. Embassy in Budapest. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, 68, Canada Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, 63, Brazil If the cardinals believe it is time for a pope from Latin America, Scherer is seen as one of the top candidates. Scherer, a German-Brazilian, is the archbishop of Sao Paolo, the largest diocese located in the country with the most Catholics. He was appointed in 2011 to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization and is considered a moderate. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 69, Argentina He currently serves on the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, acting as a liaison with Eastern European Catholic churches. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, 63, New York Cardinal Christoph SchÃ¶nborn, 68, Austria The National Catholic Reporter has called SchÃ¶nborn "among the most interesting figures in the global church." SchÃ¶nborn studied under Pope Benedict XVI and has known the pontiff for decades, however, he has exhibited an independent streak, often going against traditional judgment. Last year, the Austrian stepped in when one of his priests denied a gay man the right serve on parish council after he was overwhelmingly elected. The cardinal went so far as to host the man and his partner for lunch, The Associated Press reported, and declared him to be "at the right place." SchÃ¶nborn has been a critic of the church's handling of its sex-abuse cases. He was rebuked by the Vatican after he reportedly accused Cardinal Angelo Sodano, former secretary of state, of blocking a sexual abuse investigation. "It should be remembered that in the church, when there are accusations against a cardinal, the competence rests solely with the pope; others may have an advisory role, always with the proper respect for the person," a Vatican statement said, according to the Catholic News Service. It's the cardinal's tendency to go against the grain in the church that might make him not a viable pick, Bunson said. Christopher Bellitto, a professor at Kean University in New Jersey who has written nine books on the history of the church, thinks this may work in the Austrian's favor. "The one who is the most interesting is SchÃ¶nborn, because he has been hit by both sides," Bellitto said. You're standing in the middle, and that's a good place to be. Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, 68, Boston While conventional wisdom says an American will not be elected pope, O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston, has been viewed as a dark horse. There are 117 cardinals, and 116 of them want to be pope. I would say the only one that doesn't want to be pope is Sean O'Malley," Thomas Groome, chair of the Department of Religious Education at Boston College, told the Boston Herald. I don't think he would be looking for the trappings of power. I think the guys that are looking for it won't get it â at least that's the tradition â and the ones who aren't looking for it are more likely," he said. The Bostonian is also tech-savvy, a necessary skill for a 21st century pontiff. He tweets to more than 10,000 followers from his @cardinalsean handle. Cardinal Robert Sarah, 67, Guinea While Cardinals Turkson and Arinze emerged as early favorites from Africa, the buzz has shifted to Sarah, who hails from the western African nation of Guinea. As president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Cardinal Sarah is tasked with organizing Catholic relief around the world. In 1979, Sarah was appointed Archbishop of Conakry, making him the youngest bishop in the world. Pope John Paul II nicknamed the 34-year-old the "baby bishop," according to the Vatican website. Cardinal Luis Tagle, 55, Manila At 55 years old, Tagle is three years younger than Pope John Paul II when he was elected pontiff. The charismatic Filipino was named a cardinal in Nov. 24, 2012. He served under then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as a member of the International Theological Commission from 1997 until 2002. Tagle may be the most social media savvy of the bunch. He hosts a YouTube series and maintains a Facebook page. Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, 70, Honduras The Archbishop of Tegucigalpa in Honduras is not only well-schooled in theology, but he also holds a diploma in clinical psychology and psychotherapy from Leopold Franz University in Innsbruck, Austria. He has been a voice in the fight against poverty and has served as the Vatican spokesman to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on the issue of third world debt. Rodriguez Maradiaga made entertainment headlines in 2009 after he reportedly criticized singer Ricky Martin for using a surrogate mother to carry his twin boys, saying "you can't just buy or rent life." He is president of the Catholic charity Caritas International. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, 70, Italy The Italian cardinal is a "deep thinker" who has worked to foster a dialogue between believers and secular forces, Bunson said. Ravasi serves as the president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and is one of the most prolific tweeters in the College of Cardinals, sending messages from his @CardRavasi handle several times a day. As a pope, Ravasi would "be engaged with culture and rebuilding culture and civilization in general," Bunson said. He would be a powerful pick. Cardinal BrÃ¡z de Aviz is another powerful pick from Brazil, according to experts, who think it's a strong possibility the next pope could come from the world's most populous Catholic country. Cardinal BrÃ¡z de Aviz took over as prefect for the Vatican's department for religious congregations in 2011. In February 2012, the Brazilian was elevated from the Archbishop of Brasilia to cardinal. He is considered a progressive Catholic voice in the country. When he was 36 years old, BrÃ¡z de Aviz, was shot when he came across an armed robbery. "This was a very difficult moment when I thought my life would end," he said in a video posted on Rome Reports. Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, 73, Congo Cardinal Pasinya, one of the older contenders, has been a preacher of peace in his country, particularly during the turbulent 1990s. "He took an active role in his country's political situation, helping to guide the country in the delicate transition from Zaire to the Democratic Republic of Congo and promoting peace," his biography on the Vatican website says. In 2012, Pasinya was chosen to preach the Lenten spiritual exercises to the pope, who sent him a letter of thanks and praise, which was posted on the Vatican's website. "To be able to grasp in your very presence and in your style, Venerable Brother, the particular witness of faith of the Church which believes, hopes and loves on the African continent gave me special joy: a spiritual patrimony that constitutes a great wealth for the entire People of God and for the whole world, especially in the perspective of the New Evangelization," Pope Benedict XVI wrote. Cardinal Peter Turkson, 64, Ghana Turkson, who hails from Ghana, is one of several African cardinals who may be in the running for the papacy. Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don, 65, Sri Lanka Ranjith, a conservative, was elevated from Archbishop of Colombo to Cardinal in 2010. He has served as a papal ambassador to Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population. Approximately 88 percent of Indonesians are Muslim, according to data from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Cardinal Willem Eijk, 59, The Netherlands While the Dutch have a reputation for being liberal on social issues, Eijk is viewed as a conservative. The 59-year-old studied medicine and has doctorate degrees in medical bioethics research and philosophy, according to the Vatican website. Eijk has taught ethics and moral theology. He previously served on the executive board of the association for pro-life doctors in The Netherlands. He was elevated from the Archbishop of Utrecht to cardinal in February 2012.