GWEN IFILL: Father Reese, in today's homily, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger -- and I want to use his exact words -- criticized what he called radical individualism versus vague religious mysticism in the Church. And he talked about relativism as basically an evil, versus fundamentalism, which he described as clear faith. Is that a signal of the kind of pope that they're searching for?

REV. THOMAS REESE: Well, clearly Cardinal Ratzinger is highly respected by the members of the College of Cardinals. And what he said today is consistent with what he's been saying for years: His criticism of relativism, his criticism of agnosticism, of consumerism. There's a lot of -isms that Cardinal Ratzinger is very critical of.

I think, though, that the cardinals are also looking for someone who can present a positive image and can use -- can explain Christianity in a positive way to the people of the 21st century. And this is extremely important for the Church. I think we have to be not just against things but also have a message, a positive message, that we can bring to the people.

GWEN IFILL: So based on what we heard him say, and even with that kind of internal debate that you're alluding to, is there anyway to be able to figure out who is -- who are the cardinals who might fit the kind of bill that he was talking about today?

REV. THOMAS REESE: Well, I think that most of the cardinals would agree with what Cardinal Ratzinger said. Most of the cardinals, I think, really reflect the views of John Paul II. You know, after all, he appointed all but two of the cardinals who will be electing his successor. So, I think we're going to see someone come out of the conclave very much like John Paul II. We're going to see a lot more continuity than we're going to see change.

For example, I think we will find the new pope will be very liberal on social justice issues, on issues of war and peace. Just like John Paul II, he's going to be very strong, speaking for the poor in the third world, forgiveness of Third World debt, strong support for the United Nations, critical of the war in Iraq, against capital punishment. These are all positions that are to the left of liberal Democrats in the United States today.

On the other hand, on Church issues, on internal Church issues, on issues of faith and doctrine, I think we will see someone who's more traditional. In other words, someone very much like John Paul II.

In his sermon Monday in St. Peter's, Ratzinger defended a conservative approach to faith.

"To have a clear faith according to the church's creed is today often labeled fundamentalism," he said, "while relativism, letting ourselves be carried away by any wind of doctrine, appears as the only appropriate attitude for the today's times. A dictatorship of relativism is established that recognizes nothing definite and leaves only one's own ego and one's own desires as the final measure."

The church has been shaken by "numerous ideological currents," Ratzinger said. "The boat has been unanchored by these waves, thrown from one extreme to the other: from Marxism to liberalism, up to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism, and on and on.

"An adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the latest novelty," he concluded.