Breaking News: Pope Francis Headlines

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Members of The National Communication Association who study spiritual communication can provide insight into the election of the new pope.

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As the world awaits white smoke from the Sistine Chapel roof -- the signal that a new pope has been elected -- Virginia Tech historian Frederic Baumgartner speculates about what will happen next.

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Speculation regarding the profile of the next leader of the Catholic Church is mounting in the days since Pope Benedict XVI’s surprising resignation. William Madges, Ph.D., dean of Saint Joseph’s University’s College of Arts and Sciences and professor of theology, warns that speculation is just that until the conclave actually meets, but notes some obvious considerations.

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The Rev. Gerald P. Fogarty, S.J., William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Religious Studies and History at the University of Virginia, is available to speak with members of the media about issues of papal succession.

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While it is not unprecedented for a pope to resign from his position, it is unprecedented for a pope to resign for health reasons — as Pope Benedict XVI plans to do at the end of the month — says a leading historian of religion at Washington University in St. Louis. Daniel M. Bornstein, PhD, the Stella Koetter Darrow Professor in Catholic Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, says that Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation stands out as different from previous ones, but not simply because of his medical reasons. “Previous resignations either resulted from or led to grave crises in leadership. I do not see either of those as a concern in this case,” Bornstein says.

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