Francis Arinze
AP
Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline pf the Sacraments
He is a Nigerian convert and the son of a tribal chief. His choice would be a powerful symbol to a Catholic Church that is growing rapidly in Africa and the Third World. Arinze is considered a theological conservative by some, but also wins high marks from Catholic liberals for his concern for the Third World poor. He would be the first black pope in modern times. As former president of the Vatican's Council for Interreligious Dialogue, he also carried out the sensitive role of handling the church's relations with Muslims.