[HitmanLV]

The Catholic Church, I lament to say, is really good at dropping the ball - look at the way Law was treated his clear mishandling of the sexual abuse situation in his region.

The church has a great opportunity to honor the parts of the world where their church is growing - Africa and Latin America. If they squander that in favor of a European (and Italian)

I don't think the church should select an African or South American simply for the sake of the fact that they are African or South American. That being said, there are fine candidates from those areas and it is time to pass them the ball, rather than revert to old habit (and needless to say, Italy and much of the rest of Europe are not places that their church is growing - if anything, it is shrinking).

[MadIvan]

I believe particular regions have propensities to particular views on doctrine and policy. Latin America was awash with "Liberation Theology" and as such, I'm very suspicious of most of the Cardinals from there.

Africa, in contrast, is highly conservative.

Regards, Ivan

[sinkspur]

I don't think the church should select an African or South American simply for the sake of the fact that they are African or South American. That being said, there are fine candidates from those areas and it is time to pass them the ball, rather than revert to old habit (and needless to say, Italy and much of the rest of Europe are not places that their church is growing - if anything, it is shrinking).

Be careful what you wish for. Read some of the speeches of Maradiaga of Honduras, Hummes of Brazil, Arinze of Nigeria. If any of these third-worlders are elected, you are going to be shamed if you have $100 in your bank account. Some of them are outright socialists.