"From what I can see here, there's been a lot of wagers on Biffi," Mani Sanders of Pinnacle Sports, an online gambling service based on the resort island in the Netherlands Antilles, told the Providence Journal.

Cardinal Biffi, emeritus bishop of the archdiocese of Bologna, was recently listed as a 125-to-1 long shot to succeed John Paul II.

But does Pinnacle know something we don't?

The paper reports that as an influx of "bets were placed on Biffi in the past several days, the odds on the 76-year-old Italian had dropped to 50 to 1 by Wednesday."

If Biffi does win, it will be a sign that the Church leaders are trending more conservative.

Biffi is strongly anti-Masonic. He was quoted as saying Catholic churches should ban Mozart's music, as the composer was a Mason. The Church and the Masonic movement have long had an antagonistic relationship.

In recent years Biffi stirred controversy by saying Italy should "protect its national identity" and stop the avalanche of Muslim immigrants.

In 2000, Biffi predicted that "Europe will either become Christian again or it will become Muslim." He added ominously., "The vast majority of Muslims are coming here determined to remain outside our humanity."

That same year Biffi also said that he believed the Antichrist was alive and would soon rise to prominence.

Biffi told a conference meeting in Bologna that the Antichrist was a prominent philanthropist who advocated causes like human rights, the environment and ecumenicism.

Biffi said that this man – who he never identified – had a "fascinating personality" and espoused causes like vegetarianism, pacifism, environmentalism and animal rights.

Biffi added that this Antichrist would be a Bible expert who would discard its truths to prosletyze for "vague and fashionable spiritual values."