WHO WILL BE THE NEXT POPE?

Slate.com ^ | October 15, 2003 | Steven Waldman

[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/

[SolomoninSouthDakota]

It's Cardinal Hummes; he's an Olivetian. Series, if it is I'll make some series calculations of an end time at hand!

[Thinkin' Gal]

Cardinal Carlo Martini.

The St. Malachy Prophecies speculate that the next Pope will be the "Pope of the Olive."

Oh dearrrr (LOL). Don't forget the pimento.

[Antioch]

I just read "The Salt of the Earth" a biographical book about Ratzinger. His clear thinking on matters of faith and morals along with his great humility struck me throughout the book. I regard him as warm and genuine person, undeserving of the Inquisitor or ultraconservative label.

Since the Catholic Church has consistently taught that "revelation ended with the death of the last apostle" and "we now await no further new public revelation before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ." there ARE NO conservatives or liberals in the church

JPII transcended "conservative" or "liberal" labels. He simply articulated the truth about faith and morals as Christ's representative on earth.
The proper term for theologians like Hans Kung or Roger Mahony or Teilhard de Chardin is not "liberal" but rather "heretic" or "apostate"

[Netizen]

I've heard that those prophecies were written after St. Malachy's death. But, I'll hedge the bet and take Martini anyway! ;)

At any rate, have you heard anything about those phrophecies being bogus?

We might try looking at it from another vantage point. The code name for Spain during WWII was 'Olive' because they lead the world in olive production.

Are there any contenders from Spain?

[MHT]

There are up to 20 whose names appear as possibilities and I have heard nothing about Ratzinger.

Before JPI was named, there were three odds-on favorites: one was an expert on ecumenicalism; the second represented the third-world; and, the last, was anticommunist from a communist country. JPI won and died a month later. Years later, some indicated that JPI was a "compromise" candidate in that everybody knew he wouldn't last long (though no one could have predicted only a month) and that the differences between the three divergent paths that each of the other strong candidates represented would be worked about by the time the next pope would have to be elected.

They got that chance to reconcile those directional differences a month later and the anticommunist won. The college of cardinals was convinced that it would be best for the church to move in the direction of fighting communism (which denied Christians worship) than deal with the problems of a rapidly growing church in the poorest parts of the world or with the philosophical issues involved in broadening ecumenical relationships.

The question of direction that the next pope takes this church is just as important as the winner of the last presidential race as it will set the tone for where the church goes in the 21st century. I think that beyond demographics of growth, the issues involving reconciling medical and religious ethics against exponential technological growth will be the more explosive than the impact on the church of the advent of the birth control pill. The death of Terri Schiavo and all its ramifications paralleling the final days of the Pope were not coincidental but providential.

[MHT]

Hispanics find their roots in Spanish ancestry.

Couldn't "olive" also refer to the olive branch as a symbol of peace? Couldn't this person be considered an ultimate peacemaker, maybe reconciling Christians and Muslims to peaceful cohabitation much like attempts are being made in Palestine and Israel? Or, maybe a peacemaker in the modern world is perceived as someone who is such an absolute pacifist that he would be a chronic appeaser, quite unlike JPII.

The information is also interesting about Spain as an olive producer as Italy is the olive-oil capital of the world, according to the Corleone family.

[sinkspur]

The question of direction that the next pope takes this church is just as important as the winner of the last presidential race as it will set the tone for where the church goes in the 21st century. I think that beyond demographics of growth, the issues involving reconciling medical and religious ethics against exponential technological growth will be the more explosive than the impact on the church of the advent of the birth control pill

John Allen, Rome correspondent for the NCR, thinks that the key issue facing the Church is the rise of Islam. No cardinal would be better qualified to face that conundrum than Francis Arinze of Nigeria, having dealt with Imams in his role as Prefect of the Congregation for Interreligious Affairs.

[Netizen]

Another old Italian? I think that that would undermine the sense of momentum that JPII worked so hard at building during his lifetime. Actually, visions of another aging Paul VI are kind of a downer. And, given medical technology, this pope may live past 100 years of age!

I think the Cardinals will be looking for someone with a much shorter reign this time, to follow the nearly 30 year papacy of JPII.

I do think Arinze is a good possibility, but I think he may follow the next pope. I think Arinze is or will try to bridge the gap with Islam and imho this will be the beginning of the end.

[MHT]

Well, as in the political primaries here, the media will soon cut it down to three or four most-likely's, if only because it's hard to keep track of things if there are more than four choices out there. There's alot of talk on this website about Ratzinger, but that doesn't seem to be supported in the general media. It probably will narrow down to an African, like Arinze; one or two Hispanics from Central or South America; someone who has been a Vatican-insider with alot of friends within the college itself (kind of like an in-house promotion from headquarters); and, some outsider, perhaps someone very old or someone who is known as a philosophical scholar or master linguist.

[MHT]

Well, as mentioned in another post, I heard that there is a prophecy "master" list that only has three more papal names on it. I don't see any way that a Pope can build a bridge with radical Islamists. But, perhaps 30 years ago, no one could have believed that a Pope would be a staunch foe of communism after all the years of papal going-along-and-getting-along with Nazis and Fascists.

[Netizen]

Hispanics find their roots in Spanish ancestry.

I realize that but find it difficult to make a hispanic fit with 'glory of the olive'. :) The comment makes me think 'pit', 'pimento', 'martini', 'oil'.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

We don't really know what skin color those popes were. 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.

"Africa" was not a continent during the Roman Empire. It was the name of the roman province from the western frontier of Egypt to present day Morocco. Blacks would have come from Nubia via the Nile.

[Guyin4Os]

Hopefully nobody. The Catholic Church should renounce papalism.

[David1]

The proper term for theologians like Hans Kung or Roger Mahony or Teilhard de Chardin is not "liberal" but rather "heretic" or "apostate" Yup...you got that right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Netizen]

I think its a toss up as to the biggest crisis facing the church. Homosexual and or pedophile priests (and others in the world) or the rise of Islam.

I'm concerned that Arinze may be another intereligious appeaser. I hope he doesn't have a photo op where he kisses the Koran.

[dangus]

Ummm.. St. Louis Cardinal Rigali (now of Philly, and not a Cardinal while in St. Louis) is the most likely American.

Besides, where's tyhe trouble spot?

(My bet is Arinze.)

[MHT]

Rigali was absolutely awful when in St. Louis. There were alot of people who liked him, but, like many cradle-Catholics, they accept anyone who's a priest and "Father says" without criticism about anything a priest will say or do. I thought Rigali was a real chicken-**** when it came to taking responsibility for pedophiles within the church. Also, he's such an insider's-insider that, other than managing dioceses now, I don't think he really gets it about modern life in the real world.

[wesley_windam-price]

I think Arinze is or will try to bridge the gap with Islam and imho this will be the beginning of the end.

Are you thinking along the lines of a one-world religion?

[MHT]

A couple of more references: http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/conclave/top_candidates.htm

http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/Malachy.html

[wesley_windam-price]

Well, as mentioned in another post, I heard that there is a prophecy "master" list that only has three more papal names on it.

You are thinking of the St. Malachy prophecy. If you believe that stuff, there are only two more popes after JPII. The Catholic Church is supposed to be destroyed (by Muslims perhaps).