4/19 Update: Joseph Ratzinger was chosen to be the next Pope and will be called Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope John Paul II's death has left billions of people around the world mourning and anticipating what the next pontiff's priorities will be. Call To Action, a church reform group, stated, "We are hoping for a pope who forcefully spreads the message of peace and non-violence throughout the world in these troubled times as did Pope John Paul II." The organization sees issues related to human sexuality as very important- "He may also need to distance himself from some of the positions taken by Pope John Paul II in order to deal with the important issues facing the institution...We hope that the new pope recognizes the necessity of lifting the mandatory celibacy ban."

Call to Action has also called for creativity and academic feedom, and a new way to deal with the sexual abuse crisis. Call to Action Statement Some remember Pope John Paul II for his role in "saving" Europe from communism, while others blame him for replacing totalitarianism with homosexuality as the world's most threatening evil. Some feel that he could have done more to take action on issues that he spoke about, such as his opposition to the US-led war on Iraq.

Many people think that the next Pope should be from Africa. They say that this would help the Roman Catholic church's position with the world's poor — a signal that the Vatican means to fight against inequality and disease, offering a "hope of salvation in this world as well as the next." Last year, former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu loudly criticized the Roman Catholic church's position against the use of condoms to help stop the spread of HIV. He said, “It is irresponsible to say sex education and the supply of condoms encourages promiscuity." The late Pope's position that "abstinence and fidelity within marriage, and not condoms, were the best way to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS" seems unrealistic to many.

Some progressives have called for rallies to counter the "pope propaganda"- some have called the late Karol Wojtyla, a.k.a. Pope John Paul II, a reactionary. 365gay.com notes that the next pope is likely to have similar politics to Wojtyla. It is believed that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a German, has a wide base of support. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was John Paul's deputy for theology, wrote the 2003 Vatican directive to priests around the world calling for a proactive stand to stop governments from legalizing same-sex marriage and for a repeal of those those already on the books that give rights, including adoption, to gay couples. The document called on Catholic bishops and lawmakers to oppose the legalization of same-sex unions. Ratzinger opposes contraception and the use of condoms to combat HIV/AIDS.Read more about Ratzinger

Some papal history | Matt Foreman of NGLTF on the Pope's Death | George Carlin on Religion | Story about the North American Pontifical College | Seniornude perspective | Indybay's Story About Papal Policy and Women