We have two questions for our first poll. The first is a tricky question to pose.

The reality in Catholic Church governance is that there is really no "head of the Catholic Church" in Australia. Each Archbishop or Bishop is head of his diocese and they answer directly to Rome. In a sense the Church has many pastoral leaders in Australia and they are each independent. They do meet collectively though as the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and to some limited extent the Chairman of the ACBC, currently Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, is perceived as a spokesperson for the bishops.

In another perception the Archbishop of Sydney, being the leader of the original or "mother diocese" in the nation is perceived to have some seniority or a "slight edge" as leader because of the historical circumstance of Sydney being the oldest diocese. Additionally, the present incumbent, Cardinal George Pell, has some seniority because he is a Cardinal and none of the other active bishops in charge of a diocese are Cardinals.

The perceptions of the media and the average person in the street…

The media often have difficulty in deciding whom they will approach to get a comment on behalf of the Catholics in Australia collectively. In the popular perception of the average person in the street there is either confusion or many perhaps think Cardinal Pell is the "head" of the Catholic Church in Australia. Certainly Cardinal Pell because of his media presence has perhaps set the tone of how Catholicism presents itself in this nation. There are rumours and perceptions that Cardinal Pell might be promoted or moved to Rome or somewhere else at the conclusion of World Youth Day.

In the first question we are asking the question as to who you believe might provide the best "perceived leadership" of Catholicism in this nation if Cardinal Pell leaves Sydney? Who do you think has the best qualities as a leader to inspire Catholics in this nation and to generate some resurgence in the Church? So, we are leaving open whether that person occupies the position of Archbishop of Sydney, whether or not they become a Cardinal, or if they are President of the Bishops' Conference. (Interestingly the appointment of Cardinals is made by Rome, as is the Appointment to the position of Archbishop or Bishop of a Diocese. The position of President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is decided not by Rome but by a democratic vote by all the active bishops in Australia.) In simple terms what you are voting on in the first question is a hypothetical: who do you think has the qualities to best lead the Church in this nation? Who do you think might best inspire and lead the Catholic people of this nation? Only 14% of baptised adult Catholics in Australia today practice their faith and the number has been falling dramatically for decades. Who do you think might turn that situation around? You have a choice of all the active archbishops and bishops as well as the auxiliary bishops, some of the popular retired bishops and diocesan administrators plus Fr Brian Lucas, Secretary of the Bishops Conference and a few other "wild card" suggestions made by members of the Catholica forum.

Our second question is more straight forward and grounded in reality. We give you a more limited set of choices. Who should be, in your opinion, the next Cardinal Archbishop of the Mother Diocese in this nation, Sydney?