There's a Pope!!!!

taylor · 19 Apr 2005, 19:20

the smile is for the youth

emilystrange · 19 Apr 2005, 20:51

all my comments in previous threads are redoubled.

James Blast · 19 Apr 2005, 23:57

arbeit macht frei

20 Apr 2005, 10:24

My jaw dropped when they announced Ratzinger. He's the guy that was fulminating about relativism that was quoted in the do you believe in God thread.

They're already calling him "Benedict the Enforcer". Can't be good.

Loki · 20 Apr 2005, 10:29

markfiend wrote: They're already calling him "Benedict the Enforcer". Can't be good.

Must be his Hitler Youth experience and 20 years as head of the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican (Inquisition to all you Python fans) that endeared him to the liberals.

Obviousman · 20 Apr 2005, 10:32

markfiend wrote:They're already calling him "Benedict the Enforcer". Can't be good.

Didn't hear about that one before, but can't be anything good indeed...

Though, on the radio news, I heard something about his first papal preach...

CNN wrote:In celebrating the Mass, the new pope -- Joseph Ratzinger of Germany -- laid out many of the goals of his papacy, including the unification of all Christians, continuing the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and reaching out to people of other faiths.

It sure makes it sound a little bit better then was to be expected... Anyway, with those guys up there in Rome, you never know, so just lets hope a little bit it won't be that bad

canon docre · 20 Apr 2005, 11:10

Obviousman wrote:
CNN wrote:In celebrating the Mass, the new pope -- Joseph Ratzinger of Germany -- laid out many of the goals of his papacy, including the unification of all Christians, continuing the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and reaching out to people of other faiths.
It sure makes it sound a little bit better then was to be expected... Anyway, with those guys up there in Rome, you never know, so just lets hope a little bit it won't be that bad

I read the CNN quote more like this: Benedikt will strengthen the faith of christianity and raise arms for the final religious crusade against Islam.
And he has a point there....

Obviousman · 20 Apr 2005, 11:20

Mhh... Yes, that's another way of looking at it, and it's as valid, if not more valid as the way I though about it before

So this makes it really worrying, he will be peremptory, he'll give everyone one last chance to convert to christianity, and after that, who knows, don't like the thought of this

...

canon docre · 20 Apr 2005, 11:34

Well, before I put on the Tshador, I will joyfully cross blade with General Ratzinger to fight the stone-age with the means of the middle-age.

Obviousman · 20 Apr 2005, 11:56

Ah, so you're one of those Iranian policewomen they showed on the telly some weeks ago

(I had seen a better pic back then, completely in burkah and climbing some building, but can't find it no more

)

silk · 20 Apr 2005, 12:13

the guy is 78 so I would say they are buying time. by choosing a hard core conservative near deaths door they will have no doctrinal changes in the next few years which allows them to work out where they want to take the church when they put in the next one - after JPII being such a radical pontif they need to let the dust settle before they can work out how much damage/good he did.

20 Apr 2005, 12:45

silk wrote:the guy is 78 so I would say they are buying time. by choosing a hard core conservative near deaths door they will have no doctrinal changes in the next few years which allows them to work out where they want to take the church when they put in the next one - after JPII being such a radical pontif they need to let the dust settle before they can work out how much damage/good he did.

hmmmm, now thats an intersting theory...

Black Alice · 20 Apr 2005, 12:53

silk wrote:the guy is 78 so I would say they are buying time. by choosing a hard core conservative near deaths door they will have no doctrinal changes in the next few years which allows them to work out where they want to take the church when they put in the next one - after JPII being such a radical pontif they need to let the dust settle before they can work out how much damage/good he did.

Thats almost exactly the point my husband made when I mentioned the man's age and conservatism - that they were playing for time.

Plus, Radio 4 mentioned that none of the cardinals really had much of an idea as to who the others were (! bit weird) so maybe they decided on the "peoples choice".

Just hope he doesn't do too much damage - hated the previous Pope's ideas on contraception and AIDS

silk · 20 Apr 2005, 12:58

Plus, Radio 4 mentioned that none of the cardinals really had much of an idea as to who the others were (! bit weird) so maybe they decided on the "peoples choice".

I think there was a fear from the european base that with so many African & South American cardinals created by JPII that they wanted a European, the only surprise for me was that they didn't pick an Italian

Just hope he doesn't do too much damage - hated the previous Pope's ideas on contraception and AIDS

that isn't going to change in the near future

Black Alice · 20 Apr 2005, 13:03

silk wrote:
Plus, Radio 4 mentioned that none of the cardinals really had much of an idea as to who the others were (! bit weird) so maybe they decided on the "peoples choice".
I think there was a fear from the european base that with so many African & South American cardinals created by JPII that they wanted a European, the only surprise for me was that they didn't pick an Italian
Just hope he doesn't do too much damage - hated the previous Pope's ideas on contraception and AIDS
that isn't going to change in the near future

Afraid you're right on both counts - what a beautiful bunch of people! Wouldn't matter so much to me (not being a Catholic) but that they have so much influence

boudicca · 20 Apr 2005, 13:23

I reckon they did "eeny-meeny-miny-MO!"

"You... are... not... IT!"

Spiggy's hat · 20 Apr 2005, 13:34

Apparantly he is going to use his surname to appeal to the urban crowd...

canon docre · 20 Apr 2005, 14:03

We refer to him as Papa Ratzi.

canon docre · 20 Apr 2005, 14:14

Obviousman wrote:Ah, so you're one of those Iranian policewomen they showed on the telly some weeks ago

(I had seen a better pic back then, completely in burkah and climbing some building, but can't find it no more )

I guess, my english is not sufficient enough to make clear on which side I'm on when it comes to the Holy War.

20 Apr 2005, 14:39

canon docre wrote:We refer to him as Papa Ratzi.

Genius.

Obviousman · 20 Apr 2005, 14:50

canon docre wrote:I guess, my english is not sufficient enough to make clear on which side I'm on when it comes to the Holy War.

How about your skills in arab

Obviousman · 20 Apr 2005, 20:02

Ah, isn't it lovely... A new pope... Brings loads of new merchandising

A mug to give drink to the thirsty

A T-shirt for the die-hard fans

Or how about these lovely magnets (they come 100 at a time, so you'd better have some use for them!)

Go on... You know you want it all

Red Orc · 20 Apr 2005, 21:19

silk wrote:the guy is 78 so I would say they are buying time. by choosing a hard core conservative near deaths door they will have no doctrinal changes in the next few years which allows them to work out where they want to take the church when they put in the next one - after JPII being such a radical pontif they need to let the dust settle before they can work out how much damage/good he did.

Couple of points on this - last first - JPII a 'radical pontiff' - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that's a good one, no really. Unless 'radical' means 'really really dull and conservative without an idea in his head totally without any kind of agenda beyond doing the same thing for years and years because he doesn't know how to do anything else' - I don't know, it always goes wrong when goalkeepers get religion, just look at David Icke.

In the middle, JPI was a 'radical' Pope, which is ALLEGEDLY (in case any lawyers are looking) why he died 33 days after taking office and announcing a thorough overhaul of the Vatican accounts. 'Incidently' it was announced in the British press yesterday that 4 people are standing trial for the 1982 murder of Roberto Craxi 'God's Banker' (anyone remember him?) - oh of course, if anyone hasn't seen 'The Pope Must Die' you really should.

First, last (and always?) I take the main point about him being a 'caretaker' - anyone remember the Andropov/Chernyenko years (months) in the Kremlin (about the time of Alice > Walk Away if I've got my dates right)? the Politburo really didn't know what to do, so they elected a few dead guys to be Supreme Pooh-bah (sorry, can't remember the nomenklatura any more) until Gorbachev came along. No-one remembers those two guys I just mentioned, not even Mrs the two guys I've just mentioned. And one of them was head of the KGB! So the Pope's 'Enforcer' really doesn't cut it, I reckon, unless he kidnaps your family, puts burning matches under your fingernails, chucks acid in your eyes, electrodes on ya nethers, and generally messes with your body and soul. No this isn't a competition, it just seemed like an appropriate moment.

Oh, and apologies to those telling the 'Papa-Ratzi' joke, I just dissed it (a bit) on another thread.

canon docre · 20 Apr 2005, 21:58

Red Orc wrote:

Oh, and apologies to those telling the 'Papa-Ratzi' joke, I just dissed it (a bit) on another thread.

Oh, nevermind, Orc, as long as you cheer us up with your conspiracy anecdotes, no one misses my dim jokes anyway.

taylor · 20 Apr 2005, 22:55

>I guess, my english is not sufficient enough to make clear on which side >I'm on when it comes to the Holy War

Im sure where Ill be