The next pope

Could be dominican!

Latin America wants say in choosing Pope
Mon Apr 4, 2005 06:18 AM BST

By Manuel Jimenez
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (Reuters) - Latin America must be considered when a new pope is chosen because the region is home to the largest number of Catholics, the archbishop of Santo Domingo has said.
Dominican Republic Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, whose name is among possible candidates, said Pope John Paul II himself acknowledged the importance of Latin America to the Church through his repeated visits to the region.
Asked if the next pope should come from Latin America, Lopez Rodriguez said, "I think that should be discussed."
"Whoever is elected pope must think that the largest number of Catholics are concentrated in this continent, and as a consequence, I think that when electing they will think about Latin America."
Lopez Rodriguez, 68, considered a doctrinal conservative and staunch opponent of the wave of liberation theology that swept Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s, added, however, that whatever he said was "pure conjecture."
"We will sit down there, 117 cardinals, and there are people from all sides, so I honestly do not feel I have the capacity to make any predictions. The Holy Spirit will tell us who should be picked. Among those 117 is the future pope."
Lopez Rodriguez became archbishop of Santo Domingo in 1981 at the relatively young age of 45 and appointed a cardinal a decade later.
He spoke to reporters after delivering a mass in memory of the pope, who died on Saturday after 26 years as head of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics.
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