I think it has to be Tagle, which would be pretty good! Pretty moderate and a Knight of Columbus on top of it! I like Ouellet too. Burke would be cool, only because my fiancee was confirmed by him. Otherwise Burke would be very bad.
People think an American can't be Pope. Well there's always boundaries being pushed and the conclave appears no exception. John Paul II was the first non-Italian in more than 400 years with Adrian VI. Francis was the first non-European since Gregory III, a Syrian.
I'm sorry, but it just isn't going to happen. There is just no good reason to "push that boundary". JPII was important for reaching behind the Iron Curtain. Francis was reaching into where the church is actually growing, and into a poorer part of the world. What do you get by picking an American pope? Nothing. The Catholic church in America is not growing, and is not a great example of the church being a "poor man's church". As long as America is a superpower, we will never see an American pope. The church is growing in the southern hemisphere, and we will find the heirarchy of the church becoming much more southern.
No one, I would like to see the papal institution abolished.
Well off and good luck with that!
John Paul II was also a compromise candidate after a liberal Italian cardinal and a conservative Italian cardinal could not get the necessary votes for election. It's not like Wojtyla was a heavy favorite like Ratzinger or Pacelli were.
The same to a lesser extent goes for Francis. Scola was the frontrunner even though Bergoglio was in third in the balloting at one point.
I think if we saw a Catholic Church undoing its decades of corruption, it could grow in America. Besides, this is one of the most patriotic countries on the planet. I'm sure an American pope would help grow it here.
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