Preffered Picks For The New Pope!

Preferred picks for new pope

A cardinal from the Philippines, another from Austria and an archbishop from Ireland would be the "best possible" choices to be the next pope, according to a group representing the victims of abuse by priests.

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, released its list Thursday as cardinals held meetings at the Vatican in a prelude to the selection of the next pope.

The three are Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines; Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Austria; and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland.

Martin is not a cardinal, but SNAP noted that a man need not be a cardinal to be elected as pope. Historically the role has gone to cardinals, though.

Tagle would normally be considered too young for the role, but Benedict XVI's almost unprecedented resignation might have changed the way the cardinals think.

Wednesday, SNAP named its "Dirty Dozen" list of men it judged would be the worst candidates for pope because of their handling of, or comments on, past allegations of child sex abuse against clergy.

The scandal has shaken global confidence in the church in recent years.

A Pew Research Center poll announced Wednesday indicates U.S. Catholics see it as the biggest issue the Vatican faces.

Asked what they think is the most significant problem, 34% of the U.S. Catholics questioned mention sex abuse, pedophilia or some other reference to the scandal. No other problem garnered more than 10% of the responses.

A report for Italian news magazine Panorama Thursday claims the church hierarchy was alerted to the problem years ago, in 1965, but buried the warnings.

Since Monday, the gathered cardinals have been holding meetings, known as general congregations, to discuss the most serious questions facing the church.

The last of the cardinals summoned to choose the next pope, Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man of Vietnam, is expected to arrive at the Vatican Thursday afternoon.

No date has yet been set for the conclave, or hidden election, for the new pope, said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman.

The 115 cardinal-electors -- those under the age of 80 who are eligible to vote for the new pontiff -- are taking time to prepare for what many see as their greatest responsibility.

The discussions they are having in the general congregations are a crucial part of the process, he said, since once the conclave starts there won't be much time between votes for reflection or the exchange of ideas.

The cardinals have to have all the information they need in order to make a responsible judgment in the election, especially at a time when the church faces important issues, he said. "The preparation is absolutely key," Lombardi said.

Italian media reports Thursday focus on the Vatican's move to end the news briefings held this week by American cardinals, amid concerns over leaks of confidential discussions among the cardinals.

Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote in a blog post that the decision Wednesday came after a media report in Italian daily La Stampa, which gave details of who had said what.

"I compared the shutdown to the old Catholic school style of one kid talks and everyone stays after school," she wrote, saying a similar thing happened before the last conclave, in 2005.

"We'll continue briefings, but without cardinals, to help U.S. media especially cover this exciting moment in the church," Walsh added.

It's been a week since Benedict XVI became the first pontiff in six centuries to resign from the role. Popes usually serve until their death.

With Easter around the corner, many inside the Catholic Church would like to see a new pontiff in place to lead ceremonies.

 the cardinals, including those older than 80, are entitled to take part in the closed-door general congregations.

Lombardi said 152 cardinals met Thursday morning. A second meeting will take place in the afternoon, as the cardinals seek to pick up the pace before agreeing on the date for the conclave.

Thursday's business included reports on the fiscal state of the Holy See, Lombardi said. He named the cardinals who delivered the reports but did not reveal their contents.

The cardinals could proceed their meetings on Saturday, Lombardi added, but are unlikely to meet Sunday when Mass may be held.

Some of the discussions happen over coffee, as one Vatican spokesman revealed Monday, the first day of the general congregations.

"There's a coffee break for about 30 minutes at a special buffet area in the front part of the audience hall," said the Rev. Thomas Rosica. "Cardinals have an opportunity to go down and mix and mingle.

"They want to say what the next pope will hear, because he's probably in that room, and they also want to alert the people who haven't spent so much time in Rome just what the situation really is here as they see it," Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said.

The electors also want to go into the conclave with pretty clear ideas about whom to vote for, Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston said. They, too, have no interest in seeing it drag on, and there is no reason to believe that it will.

The past 11 conclaves have lasted no longer than four days, the diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, wrote on its website.

That wasn't always the case. In the 13th century, the election of one pope took two years and nine months, the diocese said. Catholics grew so impatient at the cardinals' indecision from 1268 to 1271, when Gregory X was elected, that they boarded them up in their chamber and tore off the roof to expose them to the elements.

The scandal led to the creation of the conclave and its precise protocol -- partly to expedite the process.