If you have not had a chance to watch the movie ‘Conclave’, I recommend you go see it. It is a movie about the political intrigues in choosing a new pope. The Catholic Church will be going through this process with the death of Pope Francis.

The church despite going through a modernization process is losing church goers in droves. When I was a kid, church was still done in Latin. This was the 20th century. There was great controversy in church services being done in the language of the home country. But it happened.

John Paul II was one of the most beloved popes of the last century. This Polish pope was a face of the resistance against communist Russia. The Berlin Wall fell under his watch. Yet he was a very conservative pope in a time where liberalism was needed in the church.

Popes have traditionally been Italian. But the last three popes were Polish, German, and Argentinian. Pope Francis has been the most liberal pope of our time. Yet, practising Catholics are not allowed to partake in birth control. Though, this is almost universally ignored.

Which way will the church go in selecting its next pope? Will he be Italian or not? Will he be conservative or liberal? One thing for sure he will not be a woman.

That’s all I have for today.