Pope Benedict XVI

I have to admit as a history buff that I have been geeking out over the whole Conclave and changing of the Pope. A very interesting process and one that had my curiosity piqued after reading Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. The role of Pope must be incredibly demanding, but I think I would like to do it for a day just to have access to the Vatican archives, which probably has the largest collection of historical items, information, and secrets in the world. Just to catch a glimpse of some of the items and treasures in there would be amazing.

I am not Catholic so I did not feel too passionately about who the next Pope would be. I was hoping to see someone from the Southern Hemisphere for historical grooviness. I am also sad to hear that the new Pope has a history of hard-line interpretation, but that is only to be expected for someone that is charged with preserving the faith. It will be interesting to see what he is able to bring to the church and to the world.