Who Will Be Next Pope?

April 2, 2005 — -- As the world mourns the death of Pope John Paul II, a question looms large and near: Who will become the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church?

Vatican watchers have been speculating for years, and while they may disagree on who they think the next pope may be, there is some consensus on the factors that will play in the decision.

Much credence is being given to John Paul's appointment of all but a handful of the 117 cardinals currently eligible to vote in the group that will choose his successor. As a result, some expect the next pontiff will follow very much in the mold of his predecessor.

Vatican watchers also recognize that most of the Catholic Church's growth has come in the Third World -- leading to speculation that the next pope may not be European, much less Italian.

Then there is some consideration being given to the late pope's superstar status as a world leader. The presence of global media certainly means the next pope will have to be personable, multilingual and charismatic -- but there's expected to be some disagreement on if he will have a strong political role.

"This man, John Paul II, has been tremendously active as a world figure. He's been a voice throughout the world, he's the conscience of the world," said the Rev. Vincent O'Keefe, ABC News' consultant on Vatican issues. "Some would say, well, a pope shouldn't be in politics."

Yet papal elections are never easy to handicap. There is a Roman maxim, "He who goes into the conclave as pope comes out a cardinal."

The conclave of cardinals is responsible for electing a pope from their ranks.

Picking a pope is a political game, and various factions in the cardinals' conclave are going to be agitating to control the next holy father's stances, particularly hot-button sexual and doctrinal issues like priestly celibacy and remarriage after divorce.

With the church still assimilating the changes from the Vatican II conference in the 1960s, such as moving the Mass from Latin to local languages, most Vatican watchers believe the majority of cardinals will back a candidate who, following in the steps of John Paul II, is cautious about changing church policy.

Others say a centrist candidate might ultimately be most appealing. "They'll certainly want nobody who's going to be viewed as polarizing," said the Rev. John Newhouse, editor of the Catholic journal First Things.