Local expert plans to write biography on next pope

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The world continues to watch the college of Cardinals vote for the next pope, including a local expert writing a biography on who's elected.

Dr. Matthew Bunson has detailed knowledge on the Catholic church serving as an author, professor and speaker. Since the announcement of Pope Benedict's retirement last month , it didn't take long for him to realize why the pope decided to step down.

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"In retrospect, it probably shouldn't been too much of a surprise," he said. "We know that his health had been declining pretty steadily over the last few years."

He's been studying on the Cardinals since the news of Pope Benedict retiring. He said he's planning to write a biography on the next pope that's elected. This 2,000 year old process is expected to take a few days. Bunson explains there are reasons why people from around the world, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, watch the college of Cardinals decided who will take lead over 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide.

"As a head of the Catholic church, the Pope, despite the travails the Catholic church has had over the last decade, still is looked to for as a moral guide," he said.

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Bunson acknowledges the Catholic church is growing globally and maturing because of the contenders from different parts of the world. Some contenders for the Catholic's top spot are from Africa, Latin America, Asia and North America. Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and Cardinal Sean O'Malley from Boston are the rumored contenders from the North American region. Bunson believes there's a slim chance of someone from the North American region becoming pope because of the bias that the United States is considered a superpower in the world already.

The election is expected to take a few days. Bunson said the longest election of a Pope happened back in the 13th century. It took 3 years to choose who would then be Pope Gregory X. The shortest conclave in history took 10 hours.