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Tuesday 19th April 2005

"The Official IWG Papal Sweepstake"

An internal email at Ingram Winter Green Solicitors

From - Nick Dineen
Subject - "Pope Idol"

Following the success of the Grand National Sweepstake, I am proud to announce "The Official IWG Papal Sweepstake"

I have whittled the candidates down to a final 20 (with some help from the BBC and the Papal Council!!)

£1 a go and winner takes all
Like life there's no second place
It's 'Pope or Nope'

Rules
------1) In the event that an 'outsider' wins all stakes to be returned
------2) In the event of the second coming it'll be a roll over
------3) In the event of the 'first' coming I'll eat the hat the slips are in

Come get your slips
No credit given

"Cardinal Dineen"

......and a follow-up note

The ballot papers have all been sold!!

The IWG conclave is in session and the wait begins

The 'white smoke' will signal £20 for some lucky punter

To those that entered good luck
To those that didn't - suckers!

For the updated position, the BBC website has a 'VatiCam' running

Email from Tanya
"Here you go!!
I got Cardinal Francis Arinze - he is Nigerian
And apparently he is in with a shot!"

Did she win??? - NO!!!

Ratzinger is elected as new Pope

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has been elected as the Pope - the head of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics

Taking the name Pope Benedict XVI, the 78-year-old German appeared on the balcony of the Vatican palace
His arrival was greeted by loud cheers from the many thousands of pilgrims who had packed St Peter's Square as news of his election spread across Rome

He was chosen on the third round of votes by the 115 cardinals meeting to select Pope John Paul II's successor


The new leader of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics
appears on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica