Prospect of Third World Pope Excites Many in Poor Nations ; Most Catholics Reside in Africa, Asia, Latin America

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MEXICO CITY As cardinals rushed to the Vatican on Sunday to begin the process of selecting a new pope, many back home were asking a pointed question: If most of the world's Roman Catholics live in the developing world, why has every pope been European?

The possibility that the next pope could come from Latin America, Africa or Asia is creating a buzz from Mexico City to Manila, from Tegucigalpa to Kinshasa. Many Latin American Catholics said the only way to improve on a papacy they overwhelmingly supported would be to select someone from their own ranks.

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Prospect of Third World Pope Excites Many in Poor Nations ; Most Catholics Reside in Africa, Asia, Latin America

Their hopes were fueled by the last papal conclave, in which a Polish archbishop became the first non-Italian pope in 455 years, as well as by the global outreach John Paul II made the cornerstone of his papacy. They also have been ...

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