Next Pope
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:25 am
Courtesy of Yahoo news:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The race is on to succeed John Paul II as pope and bookmakers are already getting in on the act. But not all the candidates are quite what they seem.
According to The Washington Post on Tuesday, gamblers can back Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi of Italy at odds of 11 to 4. "Or they can take their chances on Father Dougal Maguire of Craggy Island, Ireland, a long shot at 1,000 to 1."
But the Post's reporter was unaware of a key detail that, generous odds aside, would make canny bettors take a pass on Father Dougal.
He is a fictional character.
More accurately spelled McGuire, he appeared in the hit television comedy "Father Ted," which followed the antics of an eccentric group of Catholic priests on a small island off the west coast of Ireland.
The clueless Dougal is described by Channel 4 as "one of God's 'special' creatures," but even so, he is not thought likely to assume the throne of St. Peter.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The race is on to succeed John Paul II as pope and bookmakers are already getting in on the act. But not all the candidates are quite what they seem.
According to The Washington Post on Tuesday, gamblers can back Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi of Italy at odds of 11 to 4. "Or they can take their chances on Father Dougal Maguire of Craggy Island, Ireland, a long shot at 1,000 to 1."
But the Post's reporter was unaware of a key detail that, generous odds aside, would make canny bettors take a pass on Father Dougal.
He is a fictional character.
More accurately spelled McGuire, he appeared in the hit television comedy "Father Ted," which followed the antics of an eccentric group of Catholic priests on a small island off the west coast of Ireland.
The clueless Dougal is described by Channel 4 as "one of God's 'special' creatures," but even so, he is not thought likely to assume the throne of St. Peter.