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... 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...the next pope must take action regarding the priest shortage... 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. The organization says that women are called to the priesthood, and that this call should be heeded. Call to Action Statement 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. A policy that he advocated in his personal life was that all reasonable means should be used to prolong his life in case of illness. This position that was widely publicized during the Terri Shiavo scandal, but the pope's health declined rapidly in the last two weeks of his life, and he died just days after Shiavo did.

Many 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. Among those believed to have a wide base of support for becoming the successor to Wojtyla is Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a German. Ratzinger opposes contraception and the use of condoms to combat HIV/AIDS. He advocates a diminished role for women in the Church and has called for mandatory celibacy for priests. 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 Story About Women and the Church