A Latin For the Vatican?

At last month's gathering of 155 cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, 58-year-old Honduran Archbishop Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga stood out not just for his relative youth but as one of two dozen delegates from Latin America. Rodríguez was elevated to the College of Cardinals in February, and he is still getting used to his status as a prince of the Church. "It was a bit of surprise," he says, noting that he's only the third cardinal ever from Central America. "I think maybe the Pope did it because he's taking care of the poor, and Honduras is one of the poorest nations. It's a sign."

The four-day Vatican meeting, a kind of papal senate known as a consistory, was called by John Paul II to chart the path of Roman Catholicism in the new millennium. It was also seen by many observers as a preamble to what is expected to be the next major gathering of cardinals — the conclave that will take place when the Pope, who is 81, dies and the College elects his successor. "The expectations were too high," Rodríguez says. "It wasn't about big changes or big reforms. There was too much speculation that the Pope would resign." Rodríguez' own name has surfaced recently as a leading papabile, or papal candidate, but he laughs at the notion. "I believe this is a joke," he demurs. "The Church is guided by the Holy Spirit, and when the time comes the Holy Spirit, not human beings, will decide who becomes Pope."

The next Pope will preside over a church whose membership is increasingly concentrated in the Third World, and Rodríguez is well-versed in the issues that dominate these regions. "In the U.S. and Europe, you pay more every day for a cup of coffee, but the price of coffee beans has been cut in half this year," he says. "The risk of globalization is that a number of countries will be excluded. The future of social justice depends largely on international trade." Most children in Honduras, he notes, are born out of wedlock and the country is grappling with a growing AIDS epidemic.

The cardinal has long demonstrated his commitment to dealing with difficult social issues. He was a stabilizing force when Honduras moved from military to civilian rule and served for years in the Latin American Bishops' Council. He speaks six languages, plus Latin and Greek, and even learned to fly a plane when he was 14. His career as a pilot was short-lived: "I entered the novitiate when I was 16, so I stopped." Even with this eclectic résumé, Rodríguez is a long-shot for the papacy. Then again, 23 years ago few Vatican observers would have put their money on the Archbishop of Krakow, one-time actor Karol Wojtyla.  

Q & A

TIME: What important themes emerged at the consistory?

Maradiaga: How the Church can be the house and school of unity. For us in Latin America, our nations are divided and the political process is such that if you belong to a different party you are an enemy to destroy. Also inside the Church, because of the problem of the sects, many sects are designed to destroy unity. They are like the wolves, out to scatter the sheep.

TIME: A lot of priests and some bishops think Rome is out of touch with the local churches. Do you feel that way?

Maradiaga: Sometimes you have that impression, and sometimes it's true. When someone doesn't have first-hand experience, when they live in an office and receive only written information, that could be true. That's why each bishop's visit to Rome every five years is important. Bishops' synods are a good place to say what you want to say, clearly and sincerely, not only trying to give a good image of your country, but telling the truth. Communication is generally pretty good.

TIME: The Catholic Church is frequently criticized for not allowing women to become priests. Is that strictly a First World concern?

Maradiaga: We have a different perspective. In Latin America, for many centuries, the main participants in the life of the Church have been women. Our problem has been men, not women. How to get men to church. Our women will never think about being priests. It's a different anthropology in Latin America. There's a small movement, but it comes from women in First World religious orders. Maybe we'll have this debate in the future, but it's not a big problem now.