New Pope thread

[A.Nonymous]

So, conclave begins today and I'm going to guess we'll have a new Pope by the end of the week. I'm guessing it will be a younger guy (late 60s early 70s) and I'm hoping a more moderate. My guess is they'll pick a fairly conservative pope as most of the cardinals are fairly conservative. I'm not a Catholic, but the church really needs to get it's act together on the sex abuse scandals and birth control in particular. Their failure to adequately address the former and taking a hardline on the latter are ridiculous. Also, I'm just going on the record as saying I doubt we see either an African or American Pope though I'd love to see one.

 

[SiempreTuna]

The catholic church desperately needs a liberal pontif to try to recover some smidgen of moral authority. Sadly there is zero chance that they will get one: the last two popes have been hard core conservative and have appointed cardinals in their own image.

It would be nice to have a pontif from Africa, I'm afraid the Africans available would exacerbate the problems.

Re the sex abuse scandals, a bunch of senior people in the catholic church, including Ratzinger, belong in jail. Did you know that as the scandal was breaking, Ratzinger sent a letter to all the bishops threatening them with ex-communication (the harshest punishment available in catholic eyes), not if they covered things up, but if they failed to cover things up.

As you say, their stance on condoms is unforgivable: it has been directly and indirectly responsible for countless thousands - possibly millions - of horrible deaths in sub-saharan Africa. The church knew that this was the inevitable result but continue to refuse to change their teaching.

For me, the catholic church is quite literally beyond contempt.

I was born a catholic. I refuse to be associated with them now.

 

[Bob Maxey]

For me, the catholic church is quite literally beyond contempt.

I was born a catholic. I refuse to be associated with them now.

Relax . . . it is not just the Catholics. My guess is there are other churches covering crap up and no church is squeaky clean. No shortage of evil in the Mormon Church history, after all.

Forget any and all churches and simply live a good life. Do not break the commandments and if there is a heaven, you will probably enter.

If there is no afterlife, who cares? You will not know either way.

By the way, I favor the Old Testament. The payback for sins seems to be a but more immediate. Your church tells you to live by the Bible, but if you do, you will go to prison. Nobody lives their live in strict accordance with the Bible because man's laws rule. So just be good and omit the Church.

The Catholic Church killed people that disagreed with their positions. And if you decided to create a Holy bible the average person could understand, you were killed. These things are part of your history. Your leaders lived like kings but they ruled a flock of people that lived a horrific life. If you disagree, you were killed.

By the way, the Catholic Church has done far worse things from its inception. The tiny minority of child molesters is nothing compared to the past sins of the Church. If you are willing to give up on the church for the sins of today, I might wonder why you were a member in the first place.

Perhaps it is because you were never told just how many evil things you will find buried out of sight by those preaching the gospel? Yup, that is it. There are many secrets the church will never tell you about and my guess fooling with a handful of kids in an inappropriate way is nothing compared to the things you will never be told about because you will never, ever be privy to the darkest dirt kept deep within the confines of the Vatican.

Just live a good life and if that is not enough for the Great One behind the Pearly Gates, meet me in the Northwest corner of hell where we play poker every Saturday night after bed check. We serve booze, smoke strong cigars and the snacks are 25% Trans-fat and salty goodness.

The Devil is not as bad as the big guy says. Without the Devil and his influences, God is rather useless.

 

[A.Nonymous]

The problem with churches is that people attend them. My old pastor used to say that if you find a perfect church don't go to it. If you go to it you'll ruin it.

The church's stance on condoms though is utterly ridiculous in today's day and age. There's no excuse for it.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Conclave started earlier today. Black smoke just came out of the chimney. No new Pope

 

[ElasticNinja]

Looks like we won't be seeing a coloured pope anyway.

No real frontrunners, but a conservative guy well within the system from Brazil is apparently at the head of the pack.

So yeah, old guard, no change. As Tuna said though, an African pope would be even worse based on what choice there is.

 

[Gmash]

The world waits on pins and needles for the next leader of the world's largest cult...

 

[dontpanicbobby]

O'Malley in 7. Go Boston! :ridinghorse:

 

[Dngrsone]

O'Malley in 7. Go Boston! :ridinghorse:

I can pretty much guarantee that it will not be an American. As one newsperson observed, Europe would view an American pope as a CIA operative...

 

[saptech]

And why is the Pope headquartered in Italy?

 

[dontpanicbobby]

The Catholic Inquisition Association disbanded ages ago. Everything's touchy-feely now if you'll forgive the undeliberate pun. Catholics live and let live these days.

 

[Gmash]

And why is the Pope headquartered in Italy?

Vatican City is really an independent country. And have you seen it? I don't think he'll find nicer digs elsewhere lol.Certainly not fancier.

 

[Dngrsone]

And why is the Pope headquartered in Italy?

The first pope, Peter, decided to teach in Rome, which was the center of Europe at the time (the Roman empire having annexed everything).

 

[treb1797]

The world waits on pins and needles for the next leader of the world's largest cult...

Ouch...that hurt.

 

[Gmash]

Ouch...that hurt.

Sorry, perhaps not the best place for my smart-assery. My Dad and his whole side of the family were raised Catholic, so I'm not totally throwing stones from the outside. I'm not a fan of any organized religions, though.

 

[A.Nonymous]

I can pretty much guarantee that it will not be an American. As one newsperson observed, Europe would view an American pope as a CIA operative...

Which is kind of sad. Honestly, it's kind of sad how steeped in tradition the church is. The Pope has almost always been a European which made sense at one point when Europe was the center of the world, but that's no longer true at all. The Americas and Africa have large populations of Catholics and are very under-served by the church in a lot of ways.

 

[SiempreTuna]

The Catholic Inquisition Association disbanded ages ago. Everything's touchy-feely now if you'll forgive the undeliberate pun. Catholics live and let live these days.

Actually, the Inquisition didn't disband, it was renamed. A couple of times. Churches are businesses and know all about re-branding. The latest name is Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Before Ratzinger became pope he was in charge of it.

I'm fully aware of the past evils of the catholic church. I'm a brit: I'm pretty comfortable with shameful things that were done in the past. Kinda have to be.

The difference with the catholic kiddy fiddling is that it is in the present. The people responsible are still alive and may still be being shielded by the church - we don't know and we definitely can't take their word for it.

You get the impression there's are a lot to come out: there were two men from the British Isles who were eligible to vote in the conclave and both have had to resign in disgrace in the last couple of weeks because of new scandals - the Scottish guy, a rabid anti-gay bigot, for abusing male priests in the past.

 

[sntaylor]

To be fair to us Scots.... He wasn't Scottish, here was/is Irish....just worked over here!

 

[Gmash]

Actually, the Inquisition didn't disband, it was renamed. A couple of times. Churches are businesses and know all about re-branding. The latest name is Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Before Ratzinger became pope he was in charge of it.

I'm fully aware of the past evils of the catholic church. I'm a brit: I'm pretty comfortable with shameful things that were done in the past. Kinda have to be.

The difference with the catholic kiddy fiddling is that it is in the present. The people responsible are still alive and may still be being shielded by the church - we don't know and we definitely can't take their word for it.

You get the impression there's are a lot to come out: there were two men from the British Isles who were eligible to vote in the conclave and both have had to resign in disgrace in the last couple of weeks because of new scandals - the Scottish guy, a rabid anti-gay bigot, for abusing male priests in the past.

Los Angeles Archdiocese pays $10 million to settle child abuse cases | News | DW.DE | 13.03.2013

 

[dontpanicbobby]

3 smokes down and still no Pope. O'Malley is still in the running.

 

[A.Nonymous]

3 smokes down and still no Pope. O'Malley is still in the running.

I'd love to see Dolan or O'Malley, but I don't think there's any way at all. The other cardinals were annoyed at the American cardinals last week because they told the press they would give them whatever information they could without breaking confidentiality. I don't know that the Europeans want someone leading the church who is going to be as open as we Americans tend to be.

 

[ElasticNinja]

To be fair to us Scots.... He wasn't Scottish, here was/is Irish....just worked over here!

Can we just settle at him being Catholic?

3 smokes down and still no Pope. O'Malley is still in the running.

O' Malley's abuse scandal is in the news right now, so that makes him unlikely in the first place.

There also won't be a Pope from the US as it is the world's superpower and such.

I'd love to see Dolan or O'Malley, but I don't think there's any way at all. The other cardinals were annoyed at the American cardinals last week because they told the press they would give them whatever information they could without breaking confidentiality. I don't know that the Europeans want someone leading the church who is going to be as open as we Americans tend to be.

Apparently the US cardinals had to be banned from giving news conferences. Unfortunate really.

 

[Dngrsone]

There is actually a decent chance of getting a third-world pope this time, or maybe that Canadian...

 

[A.Nonymous]

Apparently the US cardinals had to be banned from giving news conferences. Unfortunate really.

I think it's an age gap/cultural thing. We Americans tend to be pretty open and blab about everything and overshare. Not sure the church wants that.

 

[ElasticNinja]

There is actually a decent chance of getting a third-world pope this time, or maybe that Canadian...

Well, they won't be African anyway.

A Brazilian cardinal is in the running, but still of the old coservative white inner circle I guess.

I think it's an age gap/cultural thing. We Americans tend to be pretty open and blab about everything and overshare. Not sure the church wants that.

Evidently the church would rather never be asked questions.