"Due to the importance of the events happened in the recently hours in relation to the death of the Pope, we think that it is important to maintain it informed, in spite of not being the news related to gambling."

As the world mourns the passing of Pope John Paul II, public discussion inevitably moves to the discussion of the choice of his successor. And everyone agrees his will be a tough act to follow. No one, it seems, can hope to match Karol Joseph Wojtyla's charisma and stamina.

The new pope will have to have strong communications skills, like his predecessor, whose 26-year papacy was one of the longest and most influential in church history.

He will have to have strong language skills to be able to connect with the widest possible audience -- and to speak out effectively against the persecution of Christians and other world injustices.

He will have to be a sophisticated thinker with a deep understanding of global political realities and the profound differences between rich and poor nations.

And, possibly, he should be more flexible than his predecessor -- at least over gender and birth-control issues. After all, the new pope will be taking over the helm of the Catholic Church at a time of steady decline of religious observance in the western world -- and an explosion of church membership in the Third World.

Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. And it may be time to look for someone whose roots are outside Europe. A pope of colour might represent a refreshing change.

Whoever the cardinals choose, the new pope will have to be a true world leader -- a rock of faith in a complex, religiously divided world.