With the death of Pope John Paul II, the Catholic Church will soon turn its attention to electing a new spiritual leader for the world’s approximately one billion Catholics.

The College of Cardinals has selected April 18 as the beginning of the conclave, which is the process of Papal selection. This schedule follows the traditional time frame of 15 to 20 days after a pope’s death. The interim time is used for funeral arrangements and a nine-day period of mourning.

Although there are 183 cardinals, only 117 will cast votes. Pope Paul VI stated that only cardinals under the age of 80 may vote for the succession. There are 118 cardinals eligible, but Cardinal Jamie Sin of the Philippines is too ill to travel. Fifty-eight of the cardinals are from Europe, 21 are from Latin America, 14 are from North America, and there are 11 each from Africa and Asia.

The word “conclave” comes from the Latin words “cum clave,” meaning “with key.” This refers to both the secretive nature of the process and the fact that while elections are taking place all members of the electorate are locked within the Sistine Chapel.

However, Pope John Paul II modified the rules of the conclave during his papacy. During previous elections, cardinals stayed in the Vatican. John Paul II constructed a hostel specifically for the conclave. In addition, while the Vatican will continue to use the traditional white smoke to signal the successful election of a pope, it will add bells so that observers are not confused by the black smoke used to signal an unsuccessful election.

Ideally, popes are elected with a two-thirds majority. Cardinals vote twice each morning and twice each afternoon, breaking every three days if no pope has been selected. If a pope is not chosen in 30 elections, a simple majority – in this case, 59 votes – is enough for selection.

This is the first papal succession in which the European cardinals do not hold a simple majority.

Despite a large European presence in the committee, many speculate that the new pope will come from a developing country, perhaps in Latin America or Africa. While Pope John Paul II’s stance on issues such as homosexuality, ordination of women and birth control has alienated many in Europe and North America, it has resonated in Africa where “family values” are paramount in the age of AIDS.

Others feel that a Latin American pope would be more appropriate. Latin America has the largest concentration of Catholics in the world – 483 million, or 87 percent of the population. Although Catholicism experienced a resurgence in the region during the 70s and 80s when liberation theology was popular, John Paul’s rejection of liberation theology coupled with a perception that his papacy lacked concern for the poor has led to a steep rise in Protestantism.

The Archbishop Claudio Hummes of Brazil is one of several potential papal candidates. In a recent profile in Pagina 12, a Spanish tabloid, Hummes said that the new pope must not “respond to new questions with the same answers.”

Most church leaders say that it is “highly unlikely” that an American will be chosen as pope. According to a Washington Post article, it’s widely believed that America is “too powerful an actor on the world stage” to assume control of the Catholic Church.

Because John Paul II nominated 114 of the 117 voting Cardinals, many speculate that whomever is selected will continue the Pope’s legacy of conservative Catholicism.

Whoever is selected faces a different global environment than Pope John Paul II did. The sharp decline in the number of clergy, the AIDS crisis and the growing numbers of Protestants are all challenges faced by the Church in the 21st century. How they will be addressed will soon be determined.

Kelly Brown can be reached at [email protected].