Tell Us: The Next Pope

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said Tuesday that it was "highly possible" that the next pope could well be a non-European.

The next pope will take over for Pope Benedict XVI, who is retiring Feb. 28.

Who do you think the next pope should be? And what criteria should the cardinals use when they vote for the next prelate? What are the major issues facing the next leader of the world's 1.196 billion Catholics?

This will be the fourth pope selected since the death of Pope Paul VI in 1978, succeeded by Pope John Paul I, who died after a mere 33 days in office. He in turn, was succeeded by John Paul II, who served for 26 years before he died in 2005, and was succeeded by Benedict.

Tell us your thoughts in the comments.