A list was already in circulation indicating possible papal candidates.

Until the early 1900's, some Catholic nations had the right to veto a papal candidate.

By now, his age, 76, might tell against him as a papal candidate.

Last weekend, he noticed that he shares his surname with a cardinal from Peru who is a papal candidate.

In e-mail correspondence this week, Mr. Allen identified, in each of these currents, a couple of papal candidates who could reasonably be associated with it.

It was remarkably gauche to have made the remark with D'Ambrizzi himself, perhaps the leading papal candidate, staring at her.

Conflict with another papal candidate, Theodore, seemed inevitable, but then a compromise candidate, Sergius I, was made pope.

Even given this view, most of the cardinals who are considered possible papal candidates lean closer to John Paul's embrace of dialogue.

Many possible papal candidates agree in part with Cardinal Ratzinger's views, especially on the need for spiritual renewal in Europe.

That means that John Paul could soon appoint as many as 20 cardinals who are within the age range to be both electors and potential papal candidates.