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
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EDITOR'S NOTE: As the Roman Catholic Church prepares to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, The Associated Press is profiling key cardinals seen as "papabili" contenders to the throne.
WSJ: NY Cardinal Dolan a 'happy warrior' for church
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Among the papabili from these areas of the world is Ghana's Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, 64, who has won praise for addressing some of the church's most contentious positions, including its opposition to distributing condoms to curb HIV transmission.