E.J. Dionne, Jr., makes a modest proposal that the Catholic Church elect a nun as Pope, but barring that:
"...But I hope that they at least consider electing the kind of man who has the characteristics of my ideal female pontiff. The church needs a leader who has worked closely with the poor and the outcast, who understands that battling over doctrine is less important for the church’s future than modeling Christian behavior — and who sees that the proper Christian attitude toward the modern world is not fear but hope."Given that the conclave of Cardinals is largely populated by the appointees of the ultra-conservative John Paul II and Benedict XVI, it's hard to imagine they would deviate from their orthodox bubble -- especially when the prevailing zeitgeist in the Church is (rightly) one of defensiveness and paranoia. We're likely to see the election of a middle-aged, conservative, doctrinaire prelate rather than one who reflects "not fear but hope" to the world. Betcha.
