ROME, ITALY — In the prayerful and pomp-filled days following John Paul II’s death, the cardinals assembled in Rome take temporary control of the Vatican, sharing limited responsibility until they elect the next pope. For all but one of them, this will be the only time they hold that power, but for many, the idea of having more control over their own domains could determine their decision about their next leader.

Even though all but two of the voting cardinals were handpicked by this pope, they could choose someone with a very different approach to how the Church should operate. “The bishops feel a little far from what is happening in Rome,” according to Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, who, at age 82, is ineligible to cast a ballot for the new pontiff. It’s a sentiment that those in the voting-age population echo privately.