Could the next pope be an American?

There has never been an American pope, but Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost could change that. He is on some lists of possible candidates to replace Pope Francis when cardinals gather this week to choose a successor.

"Conventional wisdom" says never to bet on an American pope, said The New York Times. But the Chicago-born Prevost "could scrape together enough votes" to be an exception to the rule, partly because he "transcends borders" and has "spent much of his life outside the United States." He was ordained in 1982, then served two decades in Peru as a "missionary, parish priest, teacher and bishop" while obtaining citizenship in that country before rising in the Vatican hierarchy. If not for his American birth, he would "automatically" be a likely candidate for pope, said Vatican-watcher Marco Politi.

What did the commentators say?

Prevost is a "moderate, balanced figure, known for solid judgment," said The Catholic Herald. The cardinals will be looking for someone who can represent the faith well, stand on the "world stage" with global leaders and who has the skills to deal with the Vatican's ongoing financial problems. Prevost "ticks all three boxes." The question is whether that is enough to make him the first "superpower pope."

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When picking a new pope, cardinals should keep in mind that America has the "fourth-largest Catholic population" in the world, said Jos Joseph at The Hill. The Catholic Church could choose a leader who "appeals to the largest Christian denomination" in the world's most powerful country. An American pope would have more influence than even John Paul II had in dealing with the Soviet Union. That would give the church "immense reach into a changing political world."

The next pope "should be an American" to address the Catholic Church's ongoing sexual abuse crisis, said Anne Barrett Doyle at National Catholic Reporter. Because of America's free press and civil justice system, the U.S. Catholic Church has been "forced to adopt more prudent policies on abuse" than their coreligionists in other countries. The American church now has zero tolerance and widespread public disclosure policies. The next pope must make those policies "universal in order to protect children."

What next?

There could be "pushback" to Prevost's candidacy, said The Pillar. Advocates say his handling of abuse cases in Chicago and Peru "should disqualify him from office." What the cardinals think about that "remains to be seen," however. Some cardinals think no former diocesan bishop would be "exempt" from such criticism.

Prevost is not the only American whose name has been mentioned. President Donald Trump supports Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, said Time. But it is "very doubtful that any cardinals will view Trump's endorsement favorably," said Oxford University historian Miles Pattenden. And the odds of any American leading the Vatican are fairly long, said The Chicago Sun-Times. America has immense "political, economic, military power," said Cardinal Blase Cupich. That makes the likelihood of a U.S.-born pope "a stretch."