ORTLAND, Ore. - The Rev. Paul Gallatin hopes the new pope - whoever he is - shows an understanding of the difficult moral and social choices that confront people in 21st century life.

"What I really look for is someone who genuinely understands the complexities of modern life," said the priest from Oklahoma City. "And the fact that there is no moral white or blackness. Most of us live in very gray areas."

Gallatin was one of about 250 Roman Catholic priests from across the nation who gathered Monday in Portland for a three-day conference to discuss the direction the church is headed as it opens a new era with the first pope chosen in the 21st century.

The Catholic clergy attending the National Federation of Priests Councils conference planned to discuss ways to meet the expectations of the American faithful, along with issues such as the priest sex abuse scandal, abortion, contraceptives, celibacy and women in the priesthood.

Many American clergy are hoping the next pope will pay more attention to the views of priests and bishops, loosening up some of the power that became concentrated in the Vatican under Pope John Paul II.

The priests applauded retired Archbishop John Quinn of San Francisco after he began the conference with a call for a discussion of ways to spread more of the responsibility for managing the church among the bishops and other leaders, rather than leaving so many decisions up to the pope.

Quinn said the church had a history of delegating more authority to the bishops during its first millennium, when the pope was not the central figure he has become today.

"The church is not a democracy," Quinn said. "But it's like driving your car - you have to keep your hand on the wheel."

He said the new pope must exhibit leadership for an estimated 1 billion Catholics worldwide, but it may be time to consider establishing "patriarchates" on each of the major continents to help govern the far-flung church.

Quinn also suggested a permanent synod of bishops to take on more of a daily management role rather than merely act as occasional advisers to the pope.

Some of the priests at the opening session said among the big issues facing the Vatican are poverty, government and corporate oppression, and maintaining spirituality in a technological age.

"The really important questions are things like, 'How do we end oppression?'" Gallatin said.

A number of priests said the impact of the pope on their daily lives tends to be largely symbolic.

"The fact that he's at such a distance makes it difficult to have any kind of relationship between the pope and ourselves," said the Rev. Jim Wall of Buffalo, N.Y. "But I do believe that he is a strong sign of the unity of the church."

Like several other priests at the conference, the Rev. Terry Bradshaw of Louisville, Ky., said the unity of the Christian faith has been one of the key lessons of the papacy.

"In terms of my daily work, I have to work for unity," Bradshaw said. "This call to unity is not a denominational issue, or even a religious issue. For me, that's what the pope inspired. And I try to live up to that, exercising my role as a pastor in the community."