By Roy Speckhardt

Feb. 21, 2013

Now that Pope Benedict XVI has decided to resign Saint Peter’s throne, the world is left to guess who will replace him as the head of the church. For many Catholics, this process is a vital
component of their faith, but to most in the nonreligious community this whole procedure is just another high-office election with all the usual politicking.

The Catholic Church may not realize that the eventual winner of this ecclesiastical election will not only be a defender of the faith, but also its greatest obstacle. That’s because the Catholic Church has a knack for picking leaders that say some very backwards things and choose the wrong side of public policy debates.

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Roy Speckhardt is the executive director of the American Humanist Association.