Just curious. The news reports seem to indicate his death is possibly imminent. Who are the most likely candidates for the job or is it all up in the air?
There’s no way to know who’s the favorite among the cardinals, but the attached article gives some basic data about cardinals who are viewed as leading contenders.
http://www.time.com/time/daily/special/papacy/succession.html
An African, South American or (gasp!) even a Jewish pope is not unthinkable, this time out. Europeans no longer dominate the college of cardinals, as they did for centuries, so anything (except an American pope- there’s NO chance of that) is possible.
I imagine that Ratzinger would be a very likely candidate, for all his protesting that he’s not.
I doubt that whoever it is will be an Italian. Just a hunch.
Of course, the media has been complaining about JPII’s “ailing health” and “imminent death” for well over a decade.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he died within the next 5 years, but he’s always seemed to me to be “the Pope who wouldn’t die.” (Cue horror music.)
I for one, would like to see an Eastern Rite Catholic as the next Pope. It would go a long way toward helping the process of reunification of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
Of course, if that happened, Dogface would have to start a schism of his own…
Ok, so why did the OP suddenly make me think of a Pythonesque Pope Pageant?
“Cardinal Fang looks smashing in his matching red ensemble…”
Why is an American Pope out of the question?
Because we all know that American society is decadent and corrupt and evil. D’uh!
A Jewish pope? Excuse me? Or was that a joke? Explain to the ignorant heathen.
Perhaps astorian was referring to an Israeli Catholic. I’m confused also.
Not a joke. Cardinal Aaron Lustiger of Paris, born a German Jew raised by Catholics converted while hiding from the Nazis but says he is still Jewish. He is definitely a candidate for pope. I’ll get a cite if you want it.
Actually, if you follow astorian;s link, you’ll find that one of the “candidates” is a Jewish convert to Catholicism.
here’s one, there’s plenty more out there just look.
Here’s a SDMB thread I tried out last January on this issue. Nobody seemed to be interested at the time. 'cept astorian 
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156573&highlight=lustiger
I thought that Cardinal Sin, of the Phillipines, was also considered to be on the short list of likelies. But he isn’t mentioned in that cite.
Is RG a candidate? (Please forgive my joke…)
"Cardinal Aaron Lustiger of Paris, born a German Jew raised by Catholics converted while hiding from the Nazis but says he is still Jewish. "
Sorry folks, that should have been Polish.
Working from memory sometimes fails in details.
He appears to be a good candidate. I don’t know how this might effect the middle east. He has strong ties with Israel and would like to use his influence/power there.
I smell a particularly bad Jack Chick tract coming out of that.
- Originally posted by astro*
A few years ago, I was watching a news program (60 Minutes if I remember correctly) in which an expert on the Vatican said half the world’s Catholics would abandon the church if an American were elected Pope. He felt it would be seen as evidence of an American conspiracy to take over the world. The church is aware of this and will not risk such a catastrophe to itself.
Since that was aired, events have made it even less likely an American will become Pope. The alter boy abuse scandals have rocked the American church and made it appear to be tainted. Additionally, an American Pope could make the church a bigger target for for islamic terrorists who already equate the church with crusaders.
Funny, most of the conversations I’ve overheard/participated in here all boil down to that. They (Italians) want an Italian back under the big hat but doubt it will be so due to internal (Vatican) politics.