The Next Pope? Twenty leading possibilities

Who Will Be the Next Pope? These 20 candidates have possibilties By John L. Allen Jr. Rome

Prognostication is a notoriously hazardous business, and the trash heaps of church history are littered with the carcasses of journalists who have tried to predict the next pope. Almost no one, for example, correctly anticipated that the archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyla, would emerge from the second conclave of 1978 as Pope John Paul II.

In that spirit, the intent here is not to "predict" who will become the next pope, which is a futile exercise. Instead, the aim is to identify cardinals whose backgrounds, accomplishments, and personalities guarantee they will at least get a serious look as possible papal material. Doing so will illustrate the criteria cardinals typically employ in trying to size up who among their peers might be able to step into the "Shoes of the Fisherman."

Will the next pope be one of these 20 men? Perhaps. But all are certainly under consideration, and that by itself makes them worth a look.

Ratzinger MUST be considered the leading candidate.
1. Italian
2. Very Conservative
3. Age. Do not look for another young (relatively speaking) candidate.

1. Ratzinger is German.
2. He's conservative in some matters, moderate in others. He is, by background, a theologian who was once under investigation by Pius XII.
3. He's 78. He would be retired if he were in a diocese. Don't look for anyone over 75 or under 60.

"This anti-capitalist stance helps to condemn many thrid-world countries to the false alternatives of Marxism or the old aristocracy where a few wealthy families run corrupt authoritarian governments while the majority live in poverty. Capitalism is needed to break up the old aristocracy and to serve as an alternative to communism. I wonder if the churchmen fear a middle class that would arise in a capitalist system? People in a new middle class might feel empowered and be a little harder to control than serfs."

FWIW, capitalism arose in the cultures of the "Protestant work ethic", whereas the Catholic cultures (think: Spain and Latin America) have been stuck with the Hobson's choice of "(populist) Marxism or the old aristocracy where a few wealthy families run corrupt authoritarian governments"

I frankly don't know if the Catholic church has been a victim of these false dichotomy or a *cause* of it, but I think there is a connection.
I dont think it is this " I wonder if the churchmen fear a middle class that would arise in a capitalist system?", but I do think that the religious orders associate capitalism with materialism, and materialism with sinfulness (avarice). The Calvinist theology of saved by grace (not works)' and the elect seems to have an easier time tolerating congregants that become materially successful.

A comment you'll never hear from the pulpit:
"Michael Milken did more good for the world than mother Thereas of Calcutta" - comment from Rich Karlsgaard in Forbes magazine (justification is that Milken's junk bonds funded many enterprises that made the world better - telecom companies, the cable TV business, wireless companies, and computer technology companies; yes, a lot of the wealth stuck to him, but the world was better off.)

If JPII was such an advocate for freedom, why didn't he support freedom for the Iraquis and Kurds from the tyrant Saddam?"

On my pro-liberation-of-Iraq website, I have an article linking to an interview of Monsignor Rabban Al Qas, Chaldaean bishop of Amadiyah (northern Iraq):

http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/2004/07/chaldean-bishop-on-building-new-iraq.html

"Regardless of what some may say, something new is sprouting here, a democracy, young, but real, and in need of help. Regardless of what many Europeans may think or argue, as an Iraqi I believe that we shall always be grateful to the US for our liberation. I say it as an Iraqi, as a Kurd, as a Catholic bishop. Our people were saved and can now hope in a better future."

It would be nice if the bishops in Rome were listening to one of their bishops 'in-country', and spreading the same message.

While I'm a natural skeptic, I'm also a Catholic who thinks the next pope will likely be Latin American. Simply look to the numbers of Catholics there as well as the growth in recent years. I'm not voting, and I'm glad I'm not, but chances are very good it's one of four Latin American candidates. Will it be an Italian? Probably not, but only God and the cardinals will know.

As to prophecies from St. Malachy, I find them fascinating, though I don't know much about them to judge. Anything by Nostradamus I'm going to skip. We're all free to believe as we wish, but I'm truly unconvinced by his so-called writings (after several months of doing research and trying to translate the obscure and difficult works). No one has yet to come up with a single document written before the 1800's, particularly nothing in his own hand; it's widely believed his followers may have written some of the quatrains after the events took place. Was he probably a holy man who had visions of the future? Most likely, yes. But should we accept his supposed words simply because they're written down somewhere? No. Think about it.

De Gloria Olivae/From the Glory of the Olives: The Order of Saint Benedict has claimed that this pope will come from their ranks. Saint Benedict himself prophesied that before the end of the world his Order, known also as the Olivetans, will triumphantly lead the Catholic Church in its fight against evil.

I know this a late reply,but in light of our new Pope's name what do you think?

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