The next Pope....

Well the speculation has been brewing even while John Paul II was still alive, so now that he has passed the articles have begun about who might the next Pope be.

Granted for some reason I don't have the Vatican's ear on this one so I doubt they'll listen to me, but out of the several names mentioned, there is one that I would especially like to see be the next Pope, and one I think might end up the next Pope. There has been some discussion of picking an older candidate to ensure the next Pope is a "transitional" Pope, I disagree with that theory. (Yes I'm sure the Cardinals are listening - not)

First, who I'd like to see be the next Pope. Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, the current Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He is only 62, which to me is a good thing as I believe it makes more sense from a stability standpoint for the Church to have longer term Popes. He's also supported by Latin America, given that the majority of the Catholic Church will be of latino descent in the next few years I think it's time they had representation in the Vatican. Rodriguez Maradiaga is also respected by both the conservative and the reformers in the Church, which is very important. I believe he will have the courage to reform yet also temper that with the wisdom of what should be left the same to keep both the reformers and the conservatives within the Church feeling as they are making important contributions to the Church.

Rodriguez Maradiaga speaks eight languages and holds degrees in philosophy, theology, clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Ordained a priest in June 1970 in Guatemala, he was installed as bishop in 1978 in Honduras and became archbishop of Tegucigalpa in 1993. He's a saxophone player who grew up collecting Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck comic books. He walks for exercise at least an hour a day. Aviation is his hobby: He's a pilot who once built a mock-up of a cockpit in his house, and he has assembled more than 300 model planes. He became his country's first cardinal when Pope John Paul II elevated him to that rank in 2001.

Cardinal Francis Arinze has been mentioned as a successor to the Pope for the past several years. Electors in Rome might view his interfaith channels of communication as a useful attribute for a pope since during these times of believed "conflict" between Christians and Muslims he has created interfaith cooperation. And, being an African, he may be viewed in more neutral terms by non-Westerners than a European pope would be. Despite flexibility on matter of religious cultures, Arinze, 72, is known as a conservative on such issues as the ordination of women and abortion.

That to me is his downside as he will not be as successful in working with the reformers. It is very important that the reformers feel included as in history we know if the reformers begin to feel they have no contribution or part in the Church a split will happen. If not done properly I feel there is a serious risk of modern day Martin Luther type scenario happening. Which in all honesty is probably why many are suggesting a transitional pope, to try to avoid dealing with the issue of reform. While I do not believe the Church will totally transform on many issues, there is room for some reform without giving up the right to life basis that the Church is formed on. Especially when it comes to women's rights.

When Francis Arinze was 9 years old, he gave up his parents' traditional African religion to be baptized into the church. He entered a junior seminary at 15 and was ordained a priest 11 years later. In 1967, after advanced study at universities in Rome and London, he succeeded an Irishman as archbishop of Onitsha, a riverside city in southern Nigeria.

I should add this third person, he is not who I would prefer as a Pope, but also has been discussed. The Vatican in someways is similar to politics, with alot of behind the scenes things happening. It's said that many of the Italian hierachy do not want another Pope that does not have ties to Italy. Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi of Milan has been discussed by some as a possible candidate. He is considered very conservative, even more so than Francis Arinze. He also has ties to Opus Dei, and is considered a moral theologian.

So there we have my opinion of who the top candidates will be. If it is one of these three rather than one of the numerous "transition" candidates mentioned it will end up being who has more power in the decision, those who want the possibility of reform or those who want things to stay the way they are right now, or how much power do the Italian cardnials hold.