Religion News Service
(John L. Allen Jr. covers the Vatican for National Catholic Reporter)
VATICAN CITY _ Picking a pope is a bit like hunting for one’s dream house. Buyers start with an ideal: say five bedrooms, three bathrooms, track lighting, hardwood floors, a fireplace, a spacious yard and a great view of the mountains. Then the hard work of looking at what’s actually on the market begins, and people have to decide what they can live without in order to make a deal.
Similarly, in electing a successor to St. Peter, members of the College of Cardinals _ the Catholic Church’s most senior leaders _ start with an ideal vision of the kind of man needed to lead the church. Usually that vision is constructed on the basis of six criteria.
Age: Because popes serve until they die, cardinals regulate the length of pontificate by the age of the man they elect. John Paul II’s long reign, more than 26 years, augurs for an older man who won’t serve as long. This is complicated, however, by the desire among some that the next pope project an energetic image after John Paul’s very public decline. Many cardinals say they’d like someone age 65 to 75.
Life experience: There is a strong bias toward someone from a diocese rather than the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s civil service. Given the high degree of centralization under John Paul II, and the resentment that has produced in some quarters, the inclination to elect an “outsider” is likely to be especially strong.
Nationality: Some people think the Italians are scheming to recapture their long hold on the papacy. In fact, there are only 20 Italians out of 117 cardinals presently under age 80 and hence eligible to vote (the United States has the second-largest national contingent, with 11). While some cardinals might prefer an Italian, others want a pope from the Third World. That’s where Christianity is growing. Just as John Paul II was able to help heal the East/West split that dominated the planet when he was elected in 1978, a pope from the Third World could help address today’s North/South divide.
Issues: Candidates must have a compelling vision of the issues facing the Catholic Church, yet be open enough to appeal across “party lines.” Many cardinals believe those issues include: how power is distributed inside the Church; ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue _ especially the relationship with Islam; biotechnology and sexual ethics; globalization and economic justice; and the role of laity, especially women.
Charisma: A pope must speak several languages, have a grasp of cultural and political trends, be tough enough to lead while still radiating compassion, and come across well on television. At the same time, some cardinals believe John Paul II has been a tad too charismatic and say the next pope should not eclipse lower levels of authority.
Holiness: Being pope is not like being president or prime minister; competence is not enough. A pope must set a moral standard and must inspire people to seek a deeper relationship with God.
The problem is that no one person could possibly measure up to all these standards. The College of Cardinals contains a number of men who offer perhaps 85 percent of what electors want. As in home-buying, the question becomes which particular constellation of features the cardinals will decide is “close enough.”
KRE/JM END ALLEN
