With the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of the next pope right around the corner, non-Catholics also have their own opinions on his years of service and hopes of what will happen next.

Omar A. Manci, president of the ISU Muslim Students Association and sophomore in agricultural engineering, is slow to judge the pope.

“We [the Muslim Students Association] believe every soul is going to experience death, and as a result every soul is going to be judged according to their deeds and actions,” Manci says. “Consequently, it’s not our position to judge who was good or bad, that is between them and the creator.”

Concerning the election of the next pope, Manci says he hopes the next pope will continue to uphold the traditional beliefs of Catholicism.

“What we would like to see in the next pope is someone who would adhere to the absolute teachings of Jesus, as well as promote peace and stand against hostility and transgression,” he says.

Eric Lindstrom, president of the ISU Atheist and Agnostic Society and sophomore in political science, says he hopes the next pope will promote ideas that have previously been shunned in the Catholic Church.

“I would like to see more openness and less dogma with the next pope,” Lindstrom says. “It would be nice if the next pope had more of an acceptance of science. I think there’s a lot that can be done with stem cell research and other things, all of which were discouraged by John Paul.”

Women’s role in Catholicism is another issued that must be confronted, Lindstrom says.

“I would also like to see the equal treatment of women in the church,” he says. “I’m sure Jesus wouldn’t be a fan of the unequal treatment of people.”

Lindstrom, however, is skeptical that with a new pope there will be any change.

“I think the belief system and the dogma is already pre-programmed into the position, so I don’t really expect anything better,” he says.

Others are unsure of what they would like to see in the next pope. Peter Lasley, president of the ISU Latter Day Saints Student Association and junior in animal science, wasn’t spiritually influenced by the pope but respects his good deeds.

“Not being Catholic, I’ve never really formed an opinion about what a pope should be or do,” Lasley says. “It will be interesting to see how the next pope changes the Catholic Church. Personally and religiously, [John Paul II] never had a direct affect on my life — but I respect him and the fact that he was a very good man.”

Lindstrom wasn’t quite as impressed with the pope’s life.

“I’m sure he did a lot of good things, but he also did a lot of things I disagree with — so I don’t think he was an overwhelmingly good person,” Lindstrom says.