The New York Times is hinting around, based on shadowy reports in the Italian press, that German Cardinal Ratzinger is now the favorite to become pope when the conclave begins meeting in secret next week.

And to show how confident the paper's reporting is, the story contains this remark in the second paragraph:

Any talk of who will become the next pope is guesswork, echoes from cardinals and their staffs sworn to silence about one of the world's most elite and secretive gatherings.

So they're basing a report, on supposedly truthful "echoes" from unnamed cardinals and staffs who have been sworn to secrecy.

Baptized Pagan has an interesting take on one aspect of the conclave selection process.

The go-to blog on the selection process, though, is Richard John Neuhaus'. (Hat tip: Politickal and Michael Novak.) Neuhaus writes:

Yesterday one cardinal said the meetings are "tranquil and cordial" while another described the cardinals as "divided and gravely concerned." Take your pick. I imagine the Holy Spirit is amused by the chattering speculation.

Here's some more speculation on the whole process, as long as other folks are speculating:

Ratzinger may have a strong bloc of votes from Cardinals who prefer his tough-as-nails, conservative theological thinking. But he's 78 and appears quite dour; after years and years of an aging and painful-to-watch Pope John Paul II, age will be a big issue next week at Vatican City. If Ratzinger tops out at 50 votes in the conclave, eventually a "compromise" selection would have to emerge: someone equally as conservative as Ratzinger, but more youthful and charismatic. Someone like Vienna's Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn. But that's just "guesswork."