Pope Benedict XVI resigns - First to resign voluntarily since 1415.

[Jet Badger]

Is Darth Vader's sindrome an illness?

 

[Famine]

And I'm no expert, wouldn't know what his helper priests are called for example.

Victims

The accused.

 

[Wiegert]

So he quit because he wants to be a dentist?

And because of that post:

So he said he hasnt got the mental strength to carry out the job anymore...maybe he's ill?

I ended up reading that as "dental strength".

 

[Joey D]

So much hating on religion in this forum lol.

Welcome to the Internet. Everyone's an atheist cat-lover I think.

 

[analog]

So he said he hasnt got the mental strength to carry out the job anymore...maybe he's ill?

From what I've heard and read today he is having heart problems and was advised by his doctors not to fly transcontinental flights anymore for example, and since flying around the world is a core-business aspect of being a pope these days it could be one reason.
Another is that he apparantly longed for a more quiet existence for a long time and he wasn't particularly keen on being the pope in the first place.

 

[Dean]

From what I've heard and read today he is having heart problems and was advised by his doctors not to fly transcontinental flights anymore for example, and since flying around the world is a core-business aspect of being a pope these days it could be one reason.
Another is that he apparantly longed for a more quiet existence for a long time and he wasn't particularly keen on being the pope in the first place.

Didn't the previous pope, suffer heart issues as well?

 

[Prosthetic]

So much hating on religion in this forum lol.

People only hate on the Pope because he hides child predators. He deserves to be locked up.

 

[Daniel]

All hail our new beloved Pope Nick!

 

[MatskiMonk]

People only hate on the Pope because he hides child predators. He deserves to be locked up.

Hiding child predators sucks... I wish I could have been a Predator when I was a child...

Awesome..

 

[Tornado]

Why would he need to hide child predators? Don't they have the optic camouflage, or do they only get that when they graduate?

 

[Pupik]

But...every Buca di Beppo in the nation will require refurbishment.

"You can't fire me, I quit" - Benedict XVI praying recently

So he quit because he wants to be a dentist?

So now he's seeking Fame and Fortune?

He may be different from the rest, but who provides the test, of what is really best...?

 

[Joel]

Sorry, but the Catholic church will never accept abortion or gay marriage.

And, with age being a factor for resignation, that leaves me to believe Marc Ouellet will be the next pope.

Well come on, you're saying the next pope will probably be a French Canadian, and you don't think the Church is going to just surrender to the pro gay marriage and abortion lobby?

At least the Vatican has already separated from Italy/Rome and is its own sovereign state. That will save everyone a lot of time if he becomes the new pope.

 

[Crash]

The accused.

Oh, I just figured the helper priests were there to help the Pope get an erection.

He had to find a way to shush them up.


Anyways, all joking aside, I do wish the Pope well. I'm surprised, and I guess glad, that he recognized his limits and is willing to give up the Papacy.

 

[Encyclopedia]

Oh, I just figured the helper priests were there to help the Pope get an erection.

He had to find a way to shush them up.

 

[PeterJB]

Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana is being named as a potential successor. If he was, he'd be the first black Pope. His views on AIDS and Condoms are a bit less controversial too.

 

[Omnis]

Well come on, you're saying the next pope will probably be a French Canadian, and you don't think the Church is going to just surrender to the pro gay marriage and abortion lobby?

At least the Vatican has already separated from Italy/Rome and is its own sovereign state. That will save everyone a lot of time if he becomes the new pope.

At least it would fulfill the prophecy of the popes.

Would be funny if Peter Turkson became the first black pope, and the racist europeans went nuts and started riots. Peter the roman.

edit: I wanted to say thanks to Pupik and whoever else helped to merge these threads.

I think it would be a good idea for Scola to be elected. Scola and Turkson are certainly favorites. Turkson, Ouellet, and Dolan would probably be the best evangelists, but I think Scola and Dolan would have the greatest impact on interfaith dialogue. Ouellet and Dolan, especially, would probably turn down the election though.

I think Benedict is concerned with the church's place in the world today. JP2 used the church's influence to help the world overcome the communist terror. Today, instead of communism, we have the growing element of radical, violent Islam. This is something that I'm sure Benedict believes could be buffered by the church. Under his leadership (due to past gaffes, etc.), however, the church is unable to do it.

So there is a crossroads between interfaith relations in a hot region of the world vs. evangelizing and ministering to the rest of the world. I think Benedict resigned in the hope that the Cardinals would commune and determine the right leader for the right course of action.

 

[Joey D]

At least it would fulfill the prophecy of the popes.

Would be funny if Peter Turkson became the first black pope, and the racist europeans went nuts and started riots. Peter the roman.

I thought Pope Victor I was the first black pope?

==

I'm not sure how bigoted Catholics would feel about a black pope, I know there would be some people in my family that wouldn't stand for it. It would be funny to see their reactions though. I do think a pope from Africa would be good though since they would have a much different view of the world then a European pope.

 

[Dennisch]

Would be funny if Peter Turkson became the first black pope, and the racist europeans went nuts and started riots. Peter the roman.

And what if the new pope decides the 'gays' aren't sinners anymore? Riots. Riots everywhere.

 

[MatskiMonk]

The favourite to become next Pope is Archbishop Sikkola from Africa, not surprising really, everyone loves PopeSikkola...


.. sorry, just saw it on Facebook and couldn't resist..

 

[Rossell2]

Horsemeat found in burgers.

Pope resigns voluntarily.

Anyone else seeing this?

 

[axletramp]

Well someone doesn't like it...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/lightning-strikes-vatican-on-the-day-the-pope-1704295

 

[terminator363]

^


I still don't see how this figure is actually important or vital to society. As you can probably tell I am not religious.

Edit:

Oh and this song fits the occasion :

(Language Warning)

 

[analog]

Well someone doesn't like it...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/lightning-strikes-vatican-on-the-day-the-pope-1704295

So the pope for once does something radical and original, and his boss responds with one of his trademark and tiresome cliche responses we've come to expect?
Boring!

 

[Joey D]

^


I still don't see how this figure is actually important or vital to society. As you can probably tell I am not religious.

The Pope is one of the most influential men on the planet. Look at how many Catholics there are all over the world, they all look to the Pope as a leader.

Whether you're Catholic or not, or even if you're not religious you should be concerned with who the Pope is since so many people follow his word.

 

[Joel]

Expanding on what Joey said, as was mentioned earlier, the pope isn't always some malevolent swindler hellbent on keeping the priests and altar boys a secret. JP2 was instrumental in bringing down communism in eastern Europe, and if the pope can help quell some of the radical Islam in the mid east then I see it as a good thing. We have to tune out the whole gay marriage and abortion bits, most western governments are moving towards the more liberal viewpoints on those issues, or are already there.

We can't expect the pope to start declaring that it's okay for gays to have unprotected sex and get married, and to declare abortions are a right for all. Gone are the days in the western world when the church governs everything, abortion is legal and gay marriage is on its way, and the church isn't going to be able to keep that out forever. The church is the church, governments are governments, the fact that gay marriage and abortion are illegal in some places is more to do with governments and voters' willingness to infringe on rights than the church being this all powerful organization.

That being said, of course I find the whole child predators stuff to be indefensible, and it's disgusting that the church isn't taking steps to combat it, but that's not all the fault of the church, and it doesn't mean it's not an organization that can do good.

 

[Dennisch]

It is a shame that every effort made by the western world to prevent poor people in Africa and other parts of the world getting AIDS is destroyed when the pope announces that condoms don't work.

 

[Joey D]

It is a shame that every effort made by the western world to prevent poor people in Africa and other parts of the world getting AIDS is destroyed when the pope announces that condoms don't work.

That's why a Pope from Africa might actually be of some benefit.

 

[Dennisch]

That's why a Pope from Africa might actually be of some benefit.

Yeah, and in March hell freezes over.

No,j/k. It would be one hell of a step if the church does that. And finally comes out of medieval times.

 

[analog]

JP2 was instrumental in bringing down communism in eastern Europe, and if the pope can help quell some of the radical Islam in the mid east then I see it as a good thing.

I doubt JP2's (love that shorthand name ) role in bringing down communism is that big apart from a mostly symbolic one, the communists themselves and their system's situation at that time are mostly responsible for that, it was simply a matter of time which would've happened regardless of the pope's actions.

As for the Middle East, I don't see how any pope could possibly have any effect on radical Muslims or for that matter on moderate Muslims, other than using the usual diplomatic language the current pope sometimes was a bit clumsy with.

 

[Anathema]

Well, as a Catholic & reading through the posts in this thread... I found that it doesn't bother me as much as it used to when people would post derogatory things against Catholicism.

Don't know why, I guess it's that I respect everyone no matter what they do or who they are (meaning gays), and it was kinda funny to read some of the posts. The Church isn't infallible, we still have humans leading it.

Note here I'm not directing any anger/hate/resentment to any of you on here, this is the Internet after all, but just saying that not all Catholics are strict people who look down upon anyone who isn't a Catholic (in fact... we're not all bad, just some of us don't know how to respect others for who they are.)