Interest groups move to influence papal election

WHETHER they want women priests, more say for the laity or a return to the Latin Mass, Roman Catholic interest groups are sending their varied messages to Rome - attempting to exert some small influence on the selection of the next pope or at least get more attention for their causes.

“You can’t exactly penetrate the conclave from the outside,” said Sister Maureen Fiedler of Catholics Speak Out in the US, an organisation that supports women’s ordination, among other changes. “All we can do is put the message out there and hope these folks get it and respond,” she said.

A similar lobbying phenomenon occurred prior to the two conclaves of 1978 and there is no discernible evidence that it had any impact on the outcome.