In this exploration of the papal succession, Peter Hebblethwaite discusses the processes by which a new pope is chosen and looks at the implications for the decision on the successor to John Paul II. During this papacy the number of voting cardinals has been increased dramatically. There are, therefore, many more choices available, and a large percentage of these are now from the developing world. The nationality of the pope is a major issue and the author investigates the issues, explaining why the choice of a non-Italian could be a disaster.