Catholics in Northwest Ohio are paying close attention to the process of picking a new pope in Vatican City.
Local parishes are watching and waiting with excitement considering there is no clear front runner.
"The pope is the vicar of Christ on Earth," says Deacon Ed Maher of St. Thomas More University Parish in Bowling Green. "He's Jesus' representative here."
Inside the BG church Maher prays as 115 cardinals get ready to pick the 266th pope in Vatican City.
Maher expects a long conclave with lots of discussion about the future of the church.
"It's going to be historic," says Maher. "I don't know which way they're going to go. I suspect they're going to pick a younger person, but I really don't know. I don't know if it's going to be a European or someone outside of Europe. We've never had a pope outside of Europe."
"I kind of want more of an extroverted pope," says Allison Gaier, a sophomore at BGSU.
Gaier and her roommate want the new pope to foster the faith in younger generations.
"You have to be able to reach the people who are more political as well as the youth who's like, 'I just want to do whatever I want,'" says Alyssa Hoelscher, a sophomore at BGSU.
"We studied a lot of Pope John Paul the Second in high school," says Gaier. "He was really active with the kids. He started the World Youth Days. And he was outspoken on the political issues and social issues that are going on right now like abortion and contraceptives."
Maher says don't expect big changes with a new pope.
"That's not going to happen," says Maher. "We're not going to have women priests in the church. The church is not going to change its teaching on sexuality. I would really doubt that."
"I don't think look at it so much as a radical change, I think it's more of continuing the strength that we have and really fortifying that into the future and continue to grow," says Kevin McGraw with the St. Thomas More University Parish.
There is no clear front runner as the cardinals count down to the conclave, but Catholics in Northwest Ohio will be watching and waiting for puffs of smoke signaling a vote.
"The Holy Spirit has led the church for 2,000 years," says Maher. "The one thing I know for sure is that the Holy Spirit will select a great man to be our next pope."
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