Habemus Papam! I hereby present to you the first LGBT Pope in history: Pope Gryffus I. https://picasaweb.google.com/100586...&authkey=Gv1sRgCKWPtOqyo7m5DQ&feat=directlink
NAZI Pope is leaving to be replaced by another asshole who that hates women, hates gays, hates Jews, hates Muslims, hates science, hates health and safety. I hope he dies a slow painful death from his version of a vengeful god. The fact people still care about stupid things like the Pope scares me.
Nazi Pope? Give me a fucking break. Joseph Ratzinger was CONSCRIPTED into the ranks. He joined because he had no choice. He was not enthusiastic or even willing - he refused to attend any party meetings. And he deserted at the earliest opportunity.
Pooped priest punts on prolonged pontifying! Post-prime prelate prays (presumably) Paradise-posted Polish predecessor won't protest.
Damn, you beat me to it. I had even Googled this and uploaded it to my Photobucket account in preparation for making this pun:
I just found this out today. I find it hysterical because I think the Pope knows there's something wrong, and he's quitting before the proverbial s**t hits the fan. I really don't think we need some old dude running the Catholic church. it's f**ked in my opinion. Of course, I'll never tell my bestie that.
This is a Star Trek board, so I can make this reference and people won't get mad. But this whole thing reminds me of what Ezri said in "Tacking Into the Wind." The Klingon Empire is dying... and I think it deserves to die. Like the established Klingon culture of TNG and DS9, the Catholic church is riddled with corruption at every level. And its leaders have been willing to go along with that corruption rather than rock the boat. I'm not saying everyone is a villain - I've tried to be careful to aim my accusations at the institution en masse and not at any one individual - but the whole hierarchy is based on hypocrisy, just like the supposedly honourable Klingons tolerated corrupt leaders for generations. The Catholic church needs a Martok, not another Gowron or Duras. And if it doesn't take the opportunity it has been presented with to put such a person on the throne - one who will actually embody the qualities the church claims to want to live up to and change the basic culture that led to the corruption - then it will die. And it will deserve to die because it could not change with the times. Survival of the fittest. Hell, even the Ferengi learned you just can't get away with being a dick to half your population anymore. Half of me wants them to place another Duras on the throne, so that the Church will continue to drive itself into the ground and die out, thus removing the evil it is responsible for from the world. But that ignores the evil it will still create in the meantime and the good it is actually capable of if it would only get its head out of its ass. And the other half of me really wants a Martok, because as much as I have no interest in conforming to an organised religion and hate what the Catholic church (and others like it) have done to the world and people like me, I know a lot of people find genuine comfort and love in it and they deserve to have that, even though the corruption will be almost impossible to root out even with the best of intentions. .
Not that I disagree, but isn't this true of most powerful organizations in the world today, including the governments of most of our nations?
With about 1.2 billion, in a worldwide membership growing about as fast as the world's total population, if not faster, statements to the effect that the Catholic Church is literally dying are completely contrary to reality.
Fair point, though I think lvsxy808 meant that its traditional structures were showing considerable strain and that the official trappings of the religion were (perhaps) weakening, even if the number of adherents and followers remains strong. The Church itself could be seen as on the decline even if Catholics as a creed aren't? After all, it was the Klingon Empire that was said to be dying, not the Klingon species or the Klingon culture .
Absolutely. The church is under pressure. And membership actually is in decline in Europe. I just thought it was time for a reality check.
Agreed. According to my local news station that increase in membership is almost entirely in Africa and Asia. Membership in North America and a lot of Europe has been on a steady decline. They indicated the number of priests in Canada has seen a very sharp decline. (This ex-catholic did a happy dance upon receiving that happy news!...if enough of "the faithful" reject its antiquated doctrine the establishment will have to adapt or die).
Before becoming Pope, the Holy Father was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition. Just pointing that out. The Holy Father has a reputation as a brilliant church scholar, having had a long career as a highly regarded university theologian before being appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Cardinal, and then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. There is no better authority on the Catholic Church and Church history. I have no doubt the Holy Father weighed very carefully what was best for the Church. Pope John Paul II was very ill toward the end of his reign and the Church was left on almost autopilot, rudderless. As more details emerge, I suspect we'll find that the Holy Father wants to avoid this by having a transition of power now. I'm very grateful to the Holy Father for bringing back the Tridentine Mass, which I consider a beautiful and important part of my children's heritage. Warmest Wishes, Whoa Nellie