"Pope John Paul II was strong enough to resist challenges and stay true to the Bible, but it will be a big challenge for the next pope," Sao said.

The Rev. Tyson Ferguson, pastor and director of the Wesley Foundation at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 256 E. College Ave., said he expects the new pope to show leadership within the Roman Catholic Church and in all other Christian denominations.

However, Ferguson said he does not expect the same charisma in the newly elected pope.

"The new pope needs to define who he is and what he is going to be in the eyes of the world," Ferguson said.

One hundred and fifteen cardinals from five continents and 52 countries moved into the Domus Sanctae Marthae Hotel yesterday afternoon, and today they will move to the Sistine Chapel to take an oath of secrecy during their conclave to choose the next pope.

After the cardinals take an oath of secrecy today at the Sistine chapel, they will begin four rounds of balloting for the next pope.

The voting is expected to last two to three days and might not begin until tomorrow. A two-thirds majority, or 77 votes, is needed to announce a winner. If 30 ballots are cast and no winner is decided, an absolute majority of cardinals decides how to proceed, either for a vote by an absolute majority or by balloting between two papal candidates.

The decision will be signified by white smoke and bells. The new pope's name will be announced at St. Peter's Basilica.

Philip Jenkins, professor of history and religious studies, said the position of the papacy is comparable to that of a Supreme Court Justice.

"Chosen for life, picked for one reason and then does something very different," Jenkins said.

Jenkins said there are three important issues that should be foremost in the new pope's mind, including poverty, the rise of other Christian denominations and a confrontation with Islam.

"Any pope has to have these three issues nailed on his wall," Jenkins added.

The Rev. Philip Bender of the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Port Matilda said the new pope may expect to face a shortage of American clergy members, the decentralization of church operations and the shift of the Catholic population from Europe and the United States to southern continents.

"If it is a pope from Latin America or Africa, it is global history, and if it is not it may look like a snub to the global south," Jenkins said.

International Christian Fellowship President Andrew Ricketts said the next pope will most likely be from a European country because it has been the center of the Catholic Church for many centuries.

The world can speculate on the next pope but the result is usually a surprise, Bender said.

"The old standby is you go into the conclave a pope and come out a cardinal," Bender added.

--The Associated Press contributed to this report.