(Image source: Voice of America ) BY NATHAN BYRNE ANCHOR CANDICE AVILES News of Pope Benedict XVI’s coming resignation sent shockwaves through the Catholic Church Monday. On Tuesday, the reaction shifted to one of mass speculation. A handful of Italian candidates can be found atop many prediction lists. The leader among them — and perhaps among all candidates — is Cardinal Angelo Scola , Archbishop of Milan. Italians have largely dominated the papacy for centuries, but the trend ended with Poland’s Pope John Paul II in 1978. Germany’s Benedict XVI kept the non-Italian-pope train going in 2005. Most of the Catholic Church’s 118 eligible voting cardinals are European. Still, HLN looks at the possibility of the next pope hailing from somewhere else . “Experts say Catholicism is really popular and gaining a popularity in Africa and Latin America. So the next pope could come from there.” Peter Turkson , the 64-year-old cardinal from Ghana, is a favorite in some circles. As is Cardinal Leonardo Sandri from Argentina. “Now it’s completely open. Completely open to anybody. Of course the Church in Europe is contracting in a way. And the Church elsewhere is expanding in a big way.” [Video: Al Jazeera ] David Gibson with Religion News Service told NPR choosing the next pope is the Catholic Church’s, quote, “Obama moment.” But writers for the San Francisco Chronicle say considerable change is unlikely . “Not only are the odds stacked in favor of the next pope being from Europe - where 25 percent of Catholics live - but the next Holy Father will probably be as conservative as Benedict and his predecessor Pope John Paul II … ” North America isn’t typically a place where would-be popes are found. But some predictions are pointing that direction this time. Could we see the first American pope? Timothy Dolan’s dismissing his chances, but others are talking him up. Dolan — who’s also the Archbishop of New York — is widely viewed as America’s most powerful Catholic . How about a Canadian? A reporter from the Ottawa Citizen called Cardinal Marc Ouellet “an intriguing long shot” in 2005 who’s “considered a front-runner” now. And on NPR’s “Morning Edition” talk turned to gambling — and bookmakers’ bets on who’ll get the job. They like Canada’s Ouellet and Ghana’s Turkson. But put odds on longshots, too. “If you’re looking for higher risk and reward, you can bet on the rock star, Bono. His odds are 1000-1, according to the Irish bookmaker, Paddy Power.” The new pope could be elected within just a few days of Benedict XVI’s resignation on February 28.