What would you do if the College of Cardinals elected you the new Pope?
How would you handle the following issues:
(1) The Church’s declining membership in Europe and America?
(2) The sense among many Latin Americans that the Church sides with the powerful over the poor?
(3) The American sexual abuse scandal?
(4) Female priests or allowing male priests to marry?
TheStateOf….Keep in mind that you have a very conservative group of Cardinals that serves as your power base, but, at the same time, a constituency that wants change–now. In Latin America, I would permit my priests and bishops to engage in political movements. In Europe, I would encourage priests to oppose globalization, which is very unpopular in that region. In America, I would excommunicate any priest proven to have abused a child or adult. However, I would not allow female priests. On the other hand, I would allow any new person entering the priesthood to be married.
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