The Pope- I weigh in.

It's time to play pundit. "Why?" you ask, bewildered. Well, because it's my blog, and I'll pundit if I want to.

I've been watching the TV and listening to the commentators re. the Pope's death. Sad as it is, it's going to be very interesting to watch and see who they choose to replace him. One of the statistics that I found most revealing is that almost half of the electing Cardinals are from non-European countries. (not counting the N. American 14, or the Australian 2). This could be one major feat, if a non-white, non-European man gets elected.

They will nonetheless, have an enormous task ahead of them. Think about it for a minute. They are electing the most POWERFUL man in the world to office. For life. Here is a leader whose 1.8 BILLION parishoners are spread worldwide. There are no borders to the Catholic Church- merely local variations (and these aren't exactly huge). There is no other religious leader whose flock is so vast or so widespread. None. Because the papacy is for life, and not exactly a political office, the influence supercedes that of any politician. And because the church is soo huge, there is wealth involved that we can only dream about (just think of what the art collection alone is worth...).

When I was young, I didn't understand the political overtones involved in choosing a Pope. Now I get it a lot more. They will have to weigh very carefully the personality of their choice. He will have a tough act to follow. I equate the personal appeal of the last Pope with that of the Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa or Princess Diana. It's star appeal. He was unique- as I don't think there was ever in history a Pope with that kind of cultural impact. Yes, the previous Popes were framed in pictures on the wall, and yes, they blessed rosaries, made people happy, etc. But they didn't travel like he did. They didn't have the mass media following that he did. So the Cardinals will have to choose someone with a powerful public persona. Lots of luck, guys! (and I mean that- not in a sarcastic way at all) I wonder how long the conclave will last...