The Pope says Peace Out! ( he's not dead)

[Lathum]

Pope Benedict to resign at the end of the month, Vatican says - CNN.com

[Suicane75]

Where do I send my application?

[Peregrine]

Be careful when applying Suicane, a lot of people think they can be Pope, but they miss the "Must be infallible." in the small print.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Takes a fair bit of guts to be the first guy to do something in 600 years, much less something like this.

I'm a long way from being Catholic but I think he's one of the more admirable religious figures - regardless of brand - on the world scene in many years. No shortage of courage of conviction in him, and I respect that quite a bit.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Does he get to keep the sweet hat?

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Be careful when applying Suicane, a lot of people think they can be Pope, but they miss the "Must be infallible." in the small print.

Hey man, I'm just looking for some good insurance.

For real though, I don't know anything about how they pick a pope, but will they try and go younger this time?

[Izulde]

It's hard to say. The general feeling when Ratzinger was elected, I think, was that he would serve as a caretaker Pope until he died and then they would elect someone younger.

This resignation throws a curveball into the mix. I'll have to see if I can find someplace in town that's taking bets on who the next one will be and at least get some odds.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

"Strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," the pope said, according to the Vatican.

too pooped to pope

[JPhillips]

Good riddance. Ratzinger is neck deep in the pedophile scandal and should have never been Pope in the first place.

[molson]

I always root for the black guy, is he still a possibility?

[Kodos]

Ray Lewis is available.

[Sun Tzu]

$50 says socialist Obama is at fault somehow.

WHERE ARE MY GUNS? I NEED GUNS IN CASE THE GOVERNMENT ATTACKS!

[claphamsa]

the pope can only be elected from the college of cardinals... so while they wont be as old as ratzinger (he was 78- and 80 is the oldest possible) whoever it is wont be a ton younger.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by molson

I always root for the black guy, is he still a possibility?

Arinze? 80, so too old.

[Izulde]

First article I pulled up:

Experts: Top 5 picks for the next pope | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

I don't think they'll go back to Italy, or even in Europe. I think this is when they finally get daring with their pick and go South or North America. Not really seeing any viable African or Asian candidates (I thought they would go with Arinze last time, TBH).

[ISiddiqui]

I will say that while I disagreed with him on a ton of things (and don't know just how far he is implicated in the child sex scandels), I admired this Pope for some of the controversial stances he did take. He was rabidly anti-war, anti-consumerism (and anti-free market capitalism), pro-environment, and very pro-dialogue with other religious groups (in fact he got in trouble for seemingly praying with Muslims). I also thought his views on God as love and the beauty of the divine to be very inspiring. I also thought that Benedict's views on the co-existence of faith and science were very good as well.

There is a lot of good to be found in Benedict's reign as Pope (along with the bad).

[Desnudo]

Should be someone who will pull them into the 20th century. I don't think that person exists though.

[JPhillips]

I'd be very surprised if the next Pope isn't Italian.

[claphamsa]

Originally Posted by Izulde

First article I pulled up:

Experts: Top 5 picks for the next pope | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

I don't think they'll go back to Italy, or even in Europe. I think this is when they finally get daring with their pick and go South or North America. Not really seeing any viable African or Asian candidates (I thought they would go with Arinze last time, TBH).

a good read, thanks!

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I will say that while I disagreed with him on a ton of things (and don't know just how far he is implicated in the child sex scandels), I admired this Pope for some of the controversial stances he did take. He was rabidly anti-war, anti-consumerism (and anti-free market capitalism), pro-environment, and very pro-dialogue with other religious groups (in fact he got in trouble for seemingly praying with Muslims). I also thought his views on God as love and the beauty of the divine to be very inspiring. I also thought that Benedict's views on the co-existence of faith and science were very good as well.

There is a lot of good to be found in Benedict's reign as Pope (along with the bad).

Ratzinger's old job included overseeing all the church abuse scandals. He wrote some of the letters demanding secrecy from the clergy and he helped reassign a lot of pedophile priests. He, probably more than any other individual, knew the scope and severity of te problem ad he chose secrecy as his top priority.

[Warhammer]

As long as the new pope does not take the name Peter, I'm fine. If he does, I'm running for the doors.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Originally Posted by claphamsa

a good read, thanks!

Of course it was the Free Press, so while having decent content there was a horrible typo (this time it was a repetition.) I don't think they have editors...

Why not go old-school & get a young pope who starts wars & leads the bishops into battle?

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

Of course it was the Free Press, so while having decent content there was a horrible typo (this time it was a repetition.) I don't think they have editors...

Why not go old-school & get a young pope who starts wars & leads the bishops into battle?

You want them to party like its nine ninety-nine?

[Logan]

How about this guy?

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Is that Pope Corky IX?

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Be careful when applying Suicane, a lot of people think they can be Pope, but they miss the "Must be infallible." in the small print.

Sounds like my wife is well suited to the job then - she's never wrong apparently

[Suburban Rhythm]

Papal fantasy league anyone?

[cartman]

I know what the Pope is giving up for Lent.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by cartman

I know what the Pope is giving up for Lent.

This would appear to be it, no?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by cartman

I know what the Pope is giving up for Lent.

I just stole this for Facebook, attributed it to "a guy I know" - so at least I'm giving you some sort of credit.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by molson

I always root for the black guy, is he still a possibility?

Does the catholic church have a Rooney rule?

[ISiddiqui]

Dude... the black guy is like an uber-uber conservative.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by britrock88

This would appear to be it, no?

Wow, I'm a moron. Read your post as a question.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by claphamsa

the pope can only be elected from the college of cardinals... so while they wont be as old as ratzinger (he was 78- and 80 is the oldest possible) whoever it is wont be a ton younger.

I don't think that's correct. The cardinals tend to select from within their own ranks (what's the point of being one of the Princes of the Church if you're going to turn around and select someone who isn't a member of your august company?), but the only requirement is that the electee be either already consecrated, or willing to be so.

But the Papacy is kind of like a Supreme Court nomination; you don't have to have a law degree to sit on the Court, but in practice anymore the politicians only confirm people with a background in the law. Likewise, you don't have to be a Cardinal to be eligible to be Pope, but in practice, the new Pope tends to come from their ranks anyway.

[claphamsa]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I don't think that's correct. The cardinals tend to select from within their own ranks (what's the point of being one of the Princes of the Church if you're going to turn around and select someone who isn't a member of your august company?), but the only requirement is that the electee be either already consecrated, or willing to be so.

But the Papacy is kind of like a Supreme Court nomination; you don't have to have a law degree to sit on the Court, but in practice anymore the politicians only confirm people with a background in the law. Likewise, you don't have to be a Cardinal to be eligible to be Pope, but in practice, the new Pope tends to come from their ranks anyway.

you are correct, I didnt mean it was possible, i mean there was no chance it would ever happen

[finketr]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I don't think that's correct. The cardinals tend to select from within their own ranks (what's the point of being one of the Princes of the Church if you're going to turn around and select someone who isn't a member of your august company?), but the only requirement is that the electee be either already consecrated, or willing to be so.

But the Papacy is kind of like a Supreme Court nomination; you don't have to have a law degree to sit on the Court, but in practice anymore the politicians only confirm people with a background in the law. Likewise, you don't have to be a Cardinal to be eligible to be Pope, but in practice, the new Pope tends to come from their ranks anyway.

I think it's just a Catholic male who is not in schism or a heretic. Even I could be elected pope. Married, father of one.

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Good riddance. Ratzinger is neck deep in the pedophile scandal and should have never been Pope in the first place.

When I was watching the new documentary Mea Maxima Culpa that HBO showed recently (very highly recommended btw, if you have HBO GO) they really made it clear that because he ran the church office where all the priest abusers got reported to (before he became Pope) he really knows more about the scandal than anyone else - he knows where all the bodies are buried, so to speak.

[claphamsa]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

When I was watching the new documentary Mea Maxima Culpa that HBO showed recently (very highly recommended btw, if you have HBO GO) they really made it clear that because he ran the church office where all the priest abusers got reported to (before he became Pope) he really knows more about the scandal than anyone else - he knows where all the bodies are buried, so to speak.

im wondering how much this all affects it... and if well ever know the truth.

[JPhillips]

I was saying at lunch that I think this is about dementia. In the modern age the Pope can't stay out of the public eye for years. If he's starting to show serious signs of dementia the best option for the church is his stepping down.

[Abe Sargent]

The problem is that Catholic Cardinals and churches in places like the Philippines and S America and Africa are even MORE conservative than Europe and North America and west Asia. It's a rough pick to grab someone outside who may push the church into an even more conservative position that Benedict did, but yet do so without the Europe cloth hanging over him.

[Abe Sargent]

I don't remember Celestine V being a Cardinal, I thought he was just a monk and hermit, right?




EDIT: And I'm sure there have been other non-cardinals, but I do;t want to look it up.

[Critch]

Somebody on another board (who is Irish, so therefore obviously au fait with Catholics and their ways) says 1378 was the last time a non-Cardinal was selected. So it seems unlikely this time.

[Simbo Klice]

Popin' ain't easy.

[booradley]

I'd like to see an Arab pope. Juuuuuuust to see what happens ...

[Raiders Army]

The best thing I saw on the internet was that he got caught with a consenting adult woman. You know the Catholics can't stand that.

[tucker rocky]

Where's Mel Kiper or Mike Mayock for these type of things?
Those 2 need to be here, to tell us the scoop on potential pope candidates.

[Young Drachma]

Cardinals From Canada, Africa Lead in Papal Betting - Bloomberg

My money is in Ouellet or Turkson. Turkson being a few years younger.

[JPhillips]

All of the Pope speculation is way premature. Wait until after the combine. I hear there's a guy from El Salvador that can do a 4.3 Our Father.

[Izulde]

Interesting. I wasn't aware of Turkson as a possibility. Hmm. My money's still on Ouellet, I think... but this intrigues.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by booradley

I'd like to see an Arab pope. Juuuuuuust to see what happens ...

Here ya go!

Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria
Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pope Theodoros was born Waǧīh Ṣubḥī Bāqī Sulaymān (وجيه صبحى باقى سليمان) on 4 November 1952 in the city of Mansoura in Egypt.^[2] He studied at the University of Alexandria, where he received a degree in pharmacy in 1975.^[5] After a few years of managing a state-owned pharmaceutical factory, he joined the Monastery of Saint Pishoy in Wadi Natrun to study theology for two years. He was ordained priest in 1989.^[1]