New Pope to be elected after this month

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

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

Screw Saruman. I want him to fight his way in with a sword. He can be Holy Roman Emperor and Pope at the same time, right? We need Metal Pope:

 

[Olas]

I'm a Catholic, though not a very devout one.
My thoughts? You shouldn't elect a 78 year old man to the papacy. But if you're going to, then old age shouldn't be an excuse for him to retire. Idiots. 7 years, this has to be one of the shortest papacies ever.

My other thoughts? I hope we get someone young this time who can help change the church's image and help it move in a more progressive direction.

 

[The Pumpkin Witch]

This thread about the Pope resigning is a lot more amusing and light spirited than the one in R&P.

Pope Benedict XVI to resign [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/528.400715-Pope-Benedict-XVI-to-resign?page=1]

I doubt it will surprise anyone here that some of the R&P posts are vicious.

 

[uzo]

All I know is that if this was a game of CKII it wouldn't have been a retirement - it would have been a careening carriage taking him off a cliff.

`Cause that's how I roll when you excommunicate me at the request of my backstabbing cousin, you Papal turd burger.

 

[darth gditch]

Snip

You are quite right. There's also a lot of fear that modernizing will destory the core beliefs of the Catholic Church, which quite frankly I think is nonsense, considering most of the supposed "core" beliefs are nothing of the sort.

For example, religious celibacy has only been a thing for the Roman Catholic church for 500 years. For the Byzantine Catholic Church (which I am a part of) religious celibacy has only been a thing since the 1920's. And even then only because a group of Roman Catholic priests objected to the double standard.

Hell, Anglican priests who convert to Catholicism are not required to be celibate even now.
So I think the whole thing should be scrapped.

 

[Agayek]

I thought you had to die to give up that kind of commitment. I don't even know how a Pope is picked let alone who is in with a chance. Do you need to be a vicar or something?

I believe what happens is that all the Cardinals gather in Rome and vote one of their own into becoming the new Pope, then the new Pope appoints their successor as a Cardinal.

I think, been a while since I've had to think about it.

 

[Fat Hippo]

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,"

I'd watch that movie.

 

[Falseprophet]

The reason the Catholic church is doing so well in Africa and South America is because it's "archaic" ideals fit hand in hand with the more tribal ideals and attitudes of local peoples. The Catholic church's main influx of new believers is from the southern hemisphere. And they tend to be VERY dedicated converts. I read in an news article that criticized the Church's teachings in Africa that the 'homophobic' teachings of the church, for example, are taken as 'common sense' rather than 'politically incorrect'.

Catholicism is not doing well in South America--it's antagonistic stance on liberation theology [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8597681.stm].

And the Church might be growing in Africa, but even there Pentecostalism is a growing threat [http://www.christianpost.com/news/catholic-church-reports-biggest-growth-in-africa-32469/].

 

[Falseprophet]

For example, religious celibacy has only been a thing for the Roman Catholic church for 500 years.

No, clerical celibacy has been doctrine since at least the mid-5th century [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_celibacy_(Catholic_Church)#Eleventh-century_developments]. Even before then, celibacy was a strongly supported position among early Church thinkers, and not just for priests--even among already married couples (the very early Church believed Christ's return was imminent, and thus didn't concern themselves overly with reproduction).

How strictly celibacy was enforced in various times and places is another matter altogether.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I thought people didn't know a lot about the Catholic Church in general but I didn't know people knew literally next to nothing on the most important position in an organisation they hate.

OT: I'm more interested in the next Pope rather than the idea of this one going.

 

[Glasgow]

I thought people didn't know a lot about the Catholic Church in general but I didn't know people knew literally next to nothing on the most important position in an organisation they hate.

OT: I'm more interested in the next Pope rather than the idea of this one going.

Yeah, I noticed most people knew jack shit and the only think they had to say about Catholicism had something to do with child molesters or stopping progress. Sheesh, get off the propaganda and educate yourself about the Catholic church, liberals!

 

[Zeraki]

I never even know they could retire... figured they had to stick with it until they got smacked on the head with a golden hammer.

I'm saddened by this news though... because I can no longer make Emperor Palpatine jokes about the pope.

And no I am not Catholic... if I had to label myself as anything, I guess it would be Agnostic.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

You elect new popes? I just assumed that they regenerated every 10 years or so... to 5 years ago.
Seriously, I do not understand popes... to me (an atheist) the whole idea goes against the whole 'God almighty' thing.

 

[TrulyBritish]

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

If Christopher Lee did do that I'd have to not only convert immediately but do anything to be his right hand man (possibly converting the Vatican into a version of Orthanc if I could).

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Huh. I didn't know popes had the option to resign.

The last one, John Paul, was paraded about up to the point that he was practically a corpse wired into a chair.

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

Would that make the Pope's Successor Malcador the Sigilite?