Thousands of pilgrims and tourists have gathered on St. Peter's Square to watch for the signal. All eyes looking for the white smoke that will tell the world the leader of the more than one billion Catholics has been selected.

Monsignor John Malinowski with St. Joseph Regional Health Center says "The church is growing by leaps and bounds and Africa, Nigeria, South America...there could possibly be a Pope that could come from South America...even could come from Nigeria."

The question is will the conclave continue the traditional ways of John Paul ll or will the church move in a different direction?

"I don't see any major changes. But I do see some prospects for the future where we can be able to further define the role of the church in society and among its people." says Malinowski.

Married priests and women taking a more active role in the church are issues the new pontiff could be looking at.

"I think different countries have different issues that are being brought up. So I look forward to some of these issues being discussed. I look forward that this new pope will continue what John Paul II had begun." says Malinowski.

Voting will continue until a candidate gets two-thirds support. No conclave in the past century has lasted more than five days.