Posted on 04/02/2005 7:44:12 PM PST by MHT
Editor's note: This article originally ran in 2003, when Pope John Paul II was experiencing a serious enough illness to make people begin to speculate about who might be his successor. This article has been slightly modified and updated.
So, who will the next pope be—a black, a Hispanic, an American, or a Jew?
PAPAL CHASE
Will the Next Pope be Black, Hispanic, American, a Jew?
No, it's not a joke. All four are real possibilities.
The biggest differences between the papal selection process now and the last time are demographic ones. Of the five countries with the biggest Catholic populations, only one (Italy) is European. Forty-six percent of the world's Catholics are in Latin America; there are more Catholics in the Philippines than in Italy. In 1955 there were 16 million Catholics in all of Africa; today there are 120 million.
Article continues http://slate.msn.com/id/2089815/
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.msn.com ...
John Kerry has announced his candidacy.
I know very little about any of these men, nor does it directly concern me as I'm not a catholic, but I cracked up at this description of the MSM being considered a liability.
Waddaya mean, "unfortunately"?
Tettamanzi conservative? That's a stretch.
This is Slate, so I take it with a grain of salt. Religious acumen is not their forte.
I do listen to John Allen because he's as well connected as anyone in Rome. But on the othr hand, I wonder where this notion arises of John POaul II as "centralizing." Compared to the pre-conciliar popes of hte last century, he was "hands-off."
I doubt the next pontiff will be very different.
Whoever it may be, he will have some big shoes to fill.
Whoever is chosen, Barbara Boxer will demand a recount.
And to add my two cents he will not be Pope for long and will make Vatican II look like a walk in the park.
Hold on to your hats fols this ins going to be one controversial Pope.
Gelasius was from Africa, but Roman North Africa: and most of the racial stock at the time was Berber or Punic - in other words, semitic at best. Not negroid.
Billy Graham?
Well Neets, ya know I can't stand them damn...Sinatra lovin Yankees with Italiano heritage.
Seriously, I think that Catholicism will be better served without the usual Rome Italian born Pope. Catholicism is a world religion with millions of Asians,South Americans,Africans and North Americans.
...and further if it is an American he should be either Irish or German-Danish in commemoration of my sons Stefan and Sean Patrick.
Amen to that.
I happend to agree, believe it or NOT!!
Me too! Can't wait to see the Libs slam a Black African Pope. Maybe they'll try and make him a Clarence Thomas.
It won't be an American tho, can't have the world's SuperPower be in control too far donchyano!
If I were a betting man, of all the names listed I would probably put my money on Tettamanzi. He is of an age where he will not occupy the papacy nearly as long as Pope John Paul II and he most likely will not shake the boat too much (due to the fact that he is Italian) while continuing to move the church in a conservative direction.
Will it be a St Louis Cardinal or an Arizona Cardinal?
Of course, I can only go off of what is said in the article... I do not know much about any of the figures named.
I have been interested to see how this will pan out for a long time.
Weiss, the Offensive Coordinator at Notre Dame...and for you Protestant lurkers...just tell me the last time that SMU, TCU or Liberty have ever beaten Notre Dame in football.
I think it will be the 1.) Nigerian Cardinal, 2.)South American, 3.) Mel Gibson
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