With the cardinals of the Catholic Church gathering the the Vatican City for the conclave that will decide who will succeed Pope Benedict, WUSA9 reports that our own Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl just might be in the running:

CBS News’ Allen Pizzey says D.C.’s Cardinal Donald Wuerl has been discussed as a potential next Pope.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl headed to Rome at the end of February for the papal conclave to select the next Pope. Wuerl is one of 11 U.S. Cardinals — and one of 117 total — who were eligible to participate in the conclave to find Pope Benedict the XVI’s successor. The conclave involves the cardinal electors forced into seclusion until a decision of three-fourths majority is made on the new Pope.

In February, Wuerl asked for prayers in the biggest decision he’d ever make, and explained the process of being part of the conclave: “Once inside you are suppose to be quiet. The idea is listening to the Holy Spirit.”

Well, that’s a big maybe. During an interview with ABC News in late February, Wuerl himself seemed to dismiss the possibility, saying: “I think the conventional wisdom, which I think is correct, is a pope from the superpower would probably have a lot going against him when he’s trying to present a spiritual message to the rest of the world.”

The final cardinal is set to arrive today, and the conclave is expected to start next week.