(NECN) - With changes coming to the church, speculation continues about who might be elected the next pope. One hundred fifteen cardinals are meeting Monday to try to set a date for the conclave to elect Benedict's successor.
Once the conclave is underway, the secret voting session inside the Sistine Chapel will continue until the cardinals agree on a new leader.
Earlier this week, Pope Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign in hundreds of years.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he wrote a letter to the pope emeritus expressing his thanks and respect for his efforts to help people around the world.
"I sincerely hope that his wisdom, demonstrated during his pontificate, may stand as a legacy on which to build further dialogue and tolerance so that we all may be able to live in a world of peace and harmony," said Ban Ki-moon.
As for Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley's chances of being elected, an Irish bookmaker puts the odds of him becoming the next pope at 25-to-1.
