New Pope to be elected after this month

[Fwee]

I bet he wanted the job just for bragging rights. A half a year from now he'll be in some bar and a lady asks him,
"Weren't you the Pope?"
He reaches over and brushes a little hair back from her face, "Nah, I quit that gig, Angel. Now I just wanna sex ya,"

 

[Rastien]

Let the true heir to this position be allowed back into power.

Fail. D:

Images from that link don't show up here. But you've go me curious===fix it! FIX IIIIIITT!!!

Please.

fixed

 

[CriticalMiss]

Considering the physical appearance of the current Pope, I was actually EXPECTING the Catholic Church to try and pull a "Golden Throne".

Wrong Emperor, and clearly Benedict is not strong enough in the dark side.

The next Pope should be Christopher Lee, Cthulhu or the ghost of Andy Warhol.

Cthulhu wouldn't stoop THAT low. Be fair now.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Considering the physical appearance of the current Pope, I was actually EXPECTING the Catholic Church to try and pull a "Golden Throne".

Wrong Emperor, and clearly Benedict is not strong enough in the dark side.

The next Pope should be Christopher Lee, Cthulhu or the ghost of Andy Warhol.

I would love to see Christopher show up in full Saruman garb on a Vatican balcony

I'm convinced that Christopher Lee is a demi-lich.
It's stunning what the man did and achieved before becoming an actor.

 

[Uncreation]

Considering the physical appearance of the current Pope, I was actually EXPECTING the Catholic Church to try and pull a "Golden Throne".

Wrong Emperor, and clearly Benedict is not strong enough in the dark side.

The next Pope should be Christopher Lee, Cthulhu or the ghost of Andy Warhol.

I would love to see Christopher show up in full Saruman garb on a Vatican balcony

Damn! I'm not a catholic, but i would love to see that. He would get my vote as well.

 

[the doom cannon]

I'm a Catholic technically. I must say I'm happy that he is stepping down, as he took a step in the opposite direction as John the whatever number he was. Here's to hoping we get another one like him who can slowly lead the Church forward instead of backward

 

[Woodsey]

Well...the current Pope wasn't a great choice of figurehead. He used to run what the Inquisition became, and he was a former member of the Hitler Youth. Yes, I know that doesn't automatically make him a Nazi, but regardless of the truth, it makes him, and by extension the Catholic Church, look bad. If they'd have picked someone whose history looked more palatable, it'd have helped the PR of the church, which is always useful.

There are a lot of reasons to dislike the guy, number 1 being his role in covering up the mass child abuse scandal for which he should most certainly be put on trial. Of course, no one in the international community is bothered with that, which is why the British government shelled out and gave him a statesman's welcome a couple of years ago and praised his ability to provide a "moral compass" or whatever it was.

The man is a scumbag.

But at its height, the Hitler Youth consisted of pretty much every kid in Germany. Ratzinger joined it in 1941 according to Wikipedia, and it had been made mandatory in the mid-1930s, I believe.

He's an incredibly easy man to dislike, but people should pick the right reasons for it. (Which they don't, because apparently no one cares.)

OT: I'll take note when the new one ditches the billion dollar digs and starts dealing with world issues instead of telling Africans they shouldn't use condoms, because it won't prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.

Anyone who puts any amount of respect into that bunch of antiquated old pricks needs to take a good, hard look at themselves.

 

[MiskWisk]

Eh, as an atheist, I just feel general apathy to changes in the religious world's leadership, although I do try to remain aware of them.

I also don't understand the obsession with human leaders when really the lizard men still run things
Captcha: spick and span
Well, I suppose he is leaving this cleanly unlike some unlucky popes.

 

[saintdane05]

The pope is the church. He dictates, and I do mean DICTATES the church's official policy. The church has traditions and habits (no pun intended) but the office of the pope is a very real dictatorship. And never forget that the pope IS a recognized head of state.

Yeah, this is that kind of a big thing.

However much I differ in so many ways from the Roman Catholic Church's teachings and beliefs I respect the Church for its longevity: The Roman Catholic Church has existed and functioned for the better part of 2000 years. That places it into some very, very rare company as far as human organizations go. Studying its history is a study of how the human race has changed over the last 2000 years: Both how it has changed the world and how the world has changed it.

Isn't there also a house of Cardinals, which is like the senate?

 

[peruvianskys]

Which made me think; maybe Benedict was diagnosed with some sort of dementia, like Alzheimer's. If he was just getting old and frail physically, he'd still be able to carry out all the normal Pope-y things, wouldn't he? Just strap him up in the Pope-mobile and he only has to smile and wave (the smiling is probably optional), and maybe read a bit. But if his mind was deteriorating, and he'd been told that it was only going to get worse over time, that's the sort of thing that'd make you think about stepping down.

I'd be amazed if this isn't what happened. Jean Paul II was at least lucid up until death; I think a seriously disabled Pope would be really difficult to deal with.

My only question, of course, is whether or not he gets to keep the hat.

 

[StashAugustine]

The pope is the church. He dictates, and I do mean DICTATES the church's official policy. The church has traditions and habits (no pun intended) but the office of the pope is a very real dictatorship. And never forget that the pope IS a recognized head of state.

Yeah, this is that kind of a big thing.

However much I differ in so many ways from the Roman Catholic Church's teachings and beliefs I respect the Church for its longevity: The Roman Catholic Church has existed and functioned for the better part of 2000 years. That places it into some very, very rare company as far as human organizations go. Studying its history is a study of how the human race has changed over the last 2000 years: Both how it has changed the world and how the world has changed it.

Isn't there also a house of Cardinals, which is like the senate?

The bishops together are the teaching authority of the Church, the Pope is the head. The college of cardinals is just a special subset of bishops that have more influence and vote on the next Pope.

 

[krazykidd]

I didn't know Popes could quit . How do you quit being God's representative . Oh you catholics are so funneh . Imagine the conversation between God and the Pope .

Oh well , i don't follow the Pope anyways , so good riddence i guess.

 

[IamQ]

No! Come on! We need our Darth Popious. Who else is going to lead the imperium of man to it's victory? We need our holy knight in white and yellow on his magnificent pop mobile.

 

[Brainwreck]

And here I thought he was going to ride up onto a hill to overlook the battle upon his mighty steed Bavieca (or was that the sword?) to inspire his soldiers.
I guess that's just not the thing to do these days.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I didn't know Popes could retire. I thought it was a position you held until you died, but after reading up on that I guess you totally can.

The more you know.

Anyways, I was surprised to hear that today, but now it will be interesting to know who will be next.

However, seeing as I'm Lutheran I really don't care.

 

[Goofguy]

Good of the guy to step down before his ailing health would prevent him from fulfilling his duties. As an apatheist though, this is about as important to me as most of the other news in the world.

 

[saintdane05]

Vatican experts identify leading candidate for the papacy.

 

[darth gditch]

He's the first pope to abdicate for 598 years (Gregory XII in 1415) and third in history (Pontian in 235 IIRC).

That's pretty good going, considering how militaristic the Vatican used to be... though I'm sure there were their fair share of 'suspicious deaths'. Anyway, considering his age when he became Pope, not surprised really.

And I'm a Protestant, so not really bothered... -_-

I *am* actually a practicing Catholic.

And it's certainly interesting. There are some rules on retiring as a Pope, namely that it has to be done free of coercion and be properly documented, but other than that, there's nothing saying you can't.

Largely, I'm unmoved by the event, though I will miss being able to make Darth Benidictus jokes. I do admire Benedict's courage in admitting he can't do his job anymore. That's HUGE for a pope, as they are elected for life and there is an unspoken duty to remain pontiff for life. Benedict is actually admitting that the Church needs a strong and able leader in the current age.

However, the current voting members of the college of cardinals are made up exclusively of cardinals either Benedict XVI or his immediate predecessor John Paul II appointed. So, it is highly unlikely for there to be a radical shift in Church policy.

I would *like* to see a younger, more engaged pope be chosen. Someone who can truly understand the role of the Church in modern age, which has changed considerably. This is unlikely to happen, though, and we're likely to get yet another theologically similar leader, who will make small modernizing changes at an almost unnoticeable pace, in tune with what the last 4 popes have done.

There hasn't been a real force for the modernization of the Church since the 1960's with John XXIII.

 

[Sylveria]

He's the first pope to abdicate for 598 years (Gregory XII in 1415) and third in history (Pontian in 235 IIRC).

That's pretty good going, considering how militaristic the Vatican used to be... though I'm sure there were their fair share of 'suspicious deaths'. Anyway, considering his age when he became Pope, not surprised really.

And I'm a Protestant, so not really bothered... -_-

I *am* actually a practicing Catholic.

And it's certainly interesting. There are some rules on retiring as a Pope, namely that it has to be done free of coercion and be properly documented, but other than that, there's nothing saying you can't.

Largely, I'm unmoved by the event, though I will miss being able to make Darth Benidictus jokes. I do admire Benedict's courage in admitting he can't do his job anymore. That's HUGE for a pope, as they are elected for life and there is an unspoken duty to remain pontiff for life. Benedict is actually admitting that the Church needs a strong and able leader in the current age.

However, the current voting members of the college of cardinals are made up exclusively of cardinals either Benedict XVI or his immediate predecessor John Paul II appointed. So, it is highly unlikely for there to be a radical shift in Church policy.

I would *like* to see a younger, more engaged pope be chosen. Someone who can truly understand the role of the Church in modern age, which has changed considerably. This is unlikely to happen, though, and we're likely to get yet another theologically similar leader, who will make small modernizing changes at an almost unnoticeable pace, in tune with what the last 4 popes have done.

There hasn't been a real force for the modernization of the Church since the 1960's with John XXIII.

It's not a surprise the church would be slow to modernize. Even younger hard-core Christians of any denomination frequently utter "The world may change, but God doesn't" in attempt to justify the their tenacious hold on to a belief system that had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to accept that the world was round. Modernization and change is probably the last thing on their "to do" list.