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One name has been "retired." Others have never been reused. John is the most popular. It's a tradition going back to the year 533 that a new pope chooses a name other than the one he was born with. He's likely sending a message about what type of leader he hopes to be.
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On Tuesday, 115 "cardinal electors" will be locked inside the Vatican to begin the secretive process of selecting the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. It's one of the more spectacular and intriguing theatrical dramas on the planet.
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Preparations at the site of Tuesday's papal conclave include a high-tech scrubbing of the chapel for bugs and electronic monitoring equipment. Wi-Fi will be blocked throughout Vatican City, and cardinals with Twitter and Facebook accounts have been warned.
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After a special Mass, the closed-door gathering to choose a successor to the now-retired Pope Benedict XVI will begin.
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Alleging that the cardinals either ignored or covered up cases of sexual abuse involving priests, the groups are pushing to keep those cardinals from being part of the deliberations. The cardinals have either not commented or denied wrongdoing.
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The world is speculating furiously about who will be the next Pope. The wait was too much for one German man, who tried to sneak into a closed-door meeting of cardinals. He was thrown out by the Swiss Guard after someone noticed his crucifix was too short and his sash was just a purple scarf.
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Roman Catholic cardinals are in Rome and are discussing when to begin their formal deliberations on a successor to Pope Benedict XVI. On Monday, a German man pretending to be a bishop tried to get into one of their meetings. The Swiss Guards led him away.
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The College of Cardinals must first decide on a date for the start of the conclave at which the new pope will be elected. It's likely they'll decide to start sometime next week. Pope Benedict XVI officially stepped down last Thursday.
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Rachel Martin talks with Sister Pat Farrell, immediate past president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, about the role and status of women in the Catholic Church. The two also talk about the church's handling of revelations of child sexual abuse by priests.
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The cardinals who will choose the next pope want to be sure there's "absolutely no scandal connected to him," says NPR's Cokie Roberts. So, they will be digging into the potential popes' backgrounds. During that vetting, some leaks may occur.