The next pope

"As John Paul II, having survived an assassination attempt and serious illnesses, now enters his seventeenth year in this demanding office, more than one billion Catholics and millions of others around the world can't help but wonder who will succeed the most-traveled and most widely known pontiff in history." "Now, Peter Hebblethwaite, an expert on Catholic affairs and confidant to some of the Church's key leaders, profiles the most likely candidates for the papacy and reveals the intricate and highly politicized process by which the college of cardinals will choose among them." "Reviewing trends that have shaped previous elections, Hebblethwaite then examines the issues that will influence the next conclave's decision, including the ordination of women and the Church's relation to a rapidly growing Islam. The result is this engaging and informative account of the mystery-shrouded process in which the cardinals, literally sealed off from the rest of the world, will elect the 265th pontiff."--Jacket.