New Hope - New Pope?

I'm not Catholic, but the Vatican and their entire priest abuse fiasco worldwide has been so shoved up our rear ends by the nightly news, it's hard not to care about the selection of the new Pope. Of course, the entire process and to a great extent religion itself, it such a sham. Old men in lace robes with red beanies being locked up for days politically playing and maneuvering among each other to select a new leader. It's a grown up boys tree house club with secret handshakes and billions of dollars and euros at stake. I just can't fathom how Jesus, the ultimate iconoclast, would have any part of this or for that matter celibate priests, nuns and all the rest of the absurd pomp and ceremony associated with the Catholic church. Wasn't it Jesus himself who fought against the outdated traditions and practices of the Jewish religion?

Both "believers" and non-believers in the Catholic religion want the new Pope to a younger (than 85) hip kind of fellow. A sort of Obama type, but with even more charisma and with the where with all to modernize the church and clean up their pedophile problem. The Cardinal of New York seems close to that type. Everyone would like to see a new "flower power" along with the windows and doors open to all the secrecy by whomever they chose. Perhaps the selection might be better served by a vote of Catholics worldwide including the second class nuns. Of course, we're dealing with old scared "men" who tend to think very much inside the box. Remember these men have (supposedly) not had sex, don't really understand the realities and demands of a real marriage or relationship, are homophobic and clearly have a problem keeping their own internal affairs in order - so the hope for them to chose someone who thinks differently is doubtful. The "church" is a patriarchy not a democracy. Good luck with that.