Cardinals decide church direction

Under tight security measures, 112 cardinals from all over the world will enter the Vatican conclave to begin the secret elections for the new pope today. After the standard nine days of mourning, the cardinals will start the laborious voting process after burning Pope John Paul II's "Fisherman's ring" Saturday. \nSpeculation has arisen over the past few weeks as to whom the new pope will be, but for now, it's anyone's guess.\nThe traditions surrounding the entire electoral process of the new pope have sparked interest from everyone, including non-Catholics. The ring is one symbol of elected office, fitted with a unique coat of arms for each pope. It is used to seal all official documents and is destroyed after the pope passes. The cardinal entering the papal office will receive a new and completely unique ring. Its destruction symbolizes the end of a pope's papacy.\nOver the past centuries, the process of electing a new pope has been taken very seriously. To ensure the public does not interfere and to allow the cardinals to concentrate and meditate, members of conclaves in the past have nearly suffocated after being deprived of oxygen because they were not allowed to open the window. With modern technology as a new threat, cell phone jammers have also been placed under the doors at the chapel. \nOn Friday a narrow smoke stack was installed; white smoke arising from the structure will signal to the public when the new pope is chosen. After taking an oath of secrecy, which will be televised, Swiss guards escort all cardinals under the age of 80 to a secret room.\nHowever, the aesthetics of the process are not nearly as much of a concern as the actual discussions that will take place. In the meetings preceding the election, no one talked about potential popes, but experts and scholars have begun speculation and claim that some cardinals have openly talked outside of meetings.\nOne name topping lists for possible new popes is Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany. He worked alongside John Paul II, and at age 78, some say he will receive at least 50 votes.\nHowever, critics say that Ratzinger is too harsh and feel he is not what the Roman Catholic Church needs. In opposition stands Cardinal Tettamanzi of Milan, who also has collaborated with John Paul II in the past.\nMore interesting are the communities that could be represented by the new election. Cardinal Maradiaga of Honduras could represent Latin America, a region from which 18 percent of the cardinal electors come. Other discussion has focused on Cardinal Arinze of Nigeria as a potential candidate.\nOut of 264 popes, John Paul II was the first Polish pope, and the electoral process might allow a non-Italian culture to be represented in the papal office yet again. Many promote the idea of a black pope, though Cardinal Arinze, who works in Rome and is considered as much Italian as African, has said that the Church may not be ready for a black pope.\nWith so much diversity and complete privacy, the choice of pope will ultimately best fit which direction the cardinals think the Church should take. Issues like poverty, oppression and globalization will be highly considered when selecting the new religious leader. \nCardinal Mahony of Los Angeles said in an interview published by the Jesuit-published weekly magazine America, "What we are looking for is how to have the future pope be somebody who represents a dynamic part of the world." \nThe newly elected pope will hopefully be what many hope for -- a bridge for different cultures.