UNITED STATES
The Reporter

By Thomas J. Reese, Special to The Washington Post
mercurynews.com
Posted: 02/22/2013

Pope Benedict XVI reads his message during the Angelus noon prayer he celebrated from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s square at the Vatican. ((AP/Alessandra Tarantino))Next month, 117 cardinals from across the globe will gather inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, invoke the Holy Spirit and elect a pope to replace Benedict XVI, who’s resigning at the end of this month. Behind closed doors, cut off from the outside world, they will choose a leader who will have an impact on not only the Catholic Church but the entire planet. Let’s look at some of the misconceptions about how the cardinals will select the latest successor to Saint Peter.

Pope Benedict resigned so he could pick his successor

In Washington, we tend to be suspicious of the explanations politicians give…