No American will ever be Pope. Look to south America as a place for the new Pope—maybe east Europe? Perhaps Spain? many changes are coming to the Roman Catholic Church in the next decades—a tough, devout vicar is needed. A Younger man this time to heal the branches of the Universal Church and make an alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church as we face the storm of radical Islam and the power of the secular progressives and socialists.
I think with the planned stepping down of this present Pope from a western country, Germany, most likely the next Pope will come from what is considered a “global south” country, Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Maybe even eastern Europe, maybe an eastern rite Catholic from that part of the world who can with the help of God work to bring greater Christian unity.