Weigel says next conclave will choose leader for church and for world

Published: 2005-01-17

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Although his topic was what issues Pope John Paul II's successor will face, George Weigel told a Washington audience that after an eight-day visit to Rome he is convinced that as the pope, who is 84 and in frail health, enters the 27th year of his pontificate he is still in full control of the papacy and his death is not imminent. Before he talked about the next pope, Weigel examined the conclave that will elect him. "It will be a conclave in which the legacy of John Paul II looms very large," the scholar and author told an audience of about 200. He quoted an acquaintance who is an atheist: "In 1978, I could have cared less who the next pope would be. Now it means something to me personally." Because of the work done by Pope John Paul II and the influence he has had in world affairs, the conclave will not only elect a leader for the church, but also a pope for the entire world, according to Weigel. He delivered the Ethics and Public Policy Center's fourth annual William E. Simon Lecture in early January. He is a senior fellow at the center.

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