Srilanka, April 22 -- A 'continuity' pick, the possible first Asian pope or first black pontiff in centuries are among likely contenders

Predicting the outcome of the highly secretive papal conclave is near impossible as cardinals' positions shift over successive votes and some try to game the system to influence the chances of their favoured - or least-favoured - candidates. In the last conclave in 2013, few predicted that Jorge Mario Bergoglio would be elected as Pope Francis. At the moment, speculation is focusing on these men to succeed him:

Seen as a moderate "continuity candidate", Parolin was close to Francis. He has been the Vatican's secretary of state since 2013, playing a key role in diplomatic affairs, including delicate neg...