Since I am not Catholic and wasn’t raised Catholic, my interest in the conclave that will elect the next pope is a totally detached kind of interest. It’s kind of like how I view the election of a new prime minister or president in a powerful foreign country. I care. I might have some preferences. But it’s not personal and I’m not invested in the outcome.
I am personally much more interested in the political outcome in Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu has just received an additional two weeks to form a government. I would very much like him to fail. It’s not that his failure is guaranteed to lead to a better result. I just don’t like Bibi, and I am tired of his face. President Obama is scheduled to visit Israel, but the trip might be cancelled if no governing coalition is formed by March 16th.
In any case, do you care if the next pope is European or not, Italian or not, white or not, reform-minded or traditional? How do you think American Catholics would react to an African pope? A Canadian one? An American one?
