Diplomacy likely to trump geography in choice of new pope

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis smashed the stereotypical profile for a pontiff, becoming the Catholic Church´s first leader from the Americas and the first non-European since the eighth century.

Some hope his successor, to be chosen in a conclave of cardinals in the coming days or weeks, could come from Africa or Asia. The late Argentine pontiff championed far-flung regions long overlooked by the Church, whether in his cardinal appointments or in his travels that strayed off the beaten path, from Mongolia to Papua New Guinea.

A non-European pope would make sense, given that Catholicism is growing in Africa and Asia, while church attendance is dropping and growth near-stagnant in Europe. But in today´s increasingly complex world, analysts say an inclusive outlook and diplomatic skills will be key factors in the choice of the next pope, rather than a particular passport.

The Church´s first pope, Saint Peter, came from Galilee, in today´s Israel, yet the long line of pontiffs in his wake have been chiefly Italian. Directly after being made pope on March 13, 2013, Francis joked that fellow cardinals had come “almost to the ends of the Earth” to find him.

During his papacy, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires pushed the Church to be more inclusive of those from the so-called “peripheries”, whether geographical areas far from Rome, or long-ignored populations.