Picking Popes

A friend asked me if I was going to write about John Paul II. I said I wasn't planning to. Pajama Guy is not a newspaper--I write about one or two things a day and often miss major events. But now that the Pope has died, there is one thing that intrigues me.

A lot of people are, understandably, discussing who the new Pope will be. Some want another Italian, some say it's time for a Latin American Pope, others say it's time for an African Pope. So this got me thinking, just how is a Pope chosen?

Sure, I know the College of Cardinals vote on it, but their decision is made behind closed doors. Do they argue about it? What reasons do they give? Do they just vote? Do they take into account the popularity of the last Pope? What sort of pressures do they respond to? What sort of compromises do they make? How much does it matter these days where the candidate is from?

Perhaps the secrecy involved is so the Catholic Church can present official unity to the public. Still, it would be interesting to know just how this process works.