BREAKING NEWS! Pope Benedict XVI is resigning

Per ANSA.

https%3A//mobile.twitter.com/AFP/status/300921135124606977



• Hmmm. Did someone finally threaten to out him?

• I wonder if they found something in her Prada loafers or her Armani gown?

• He wants to spend more time with Georg Gänswein.

• Has a Pope ever resigned before?

  Not%20in%20my%20lifetime

• ON BBC and CNNI...not sure if health reasons. Not reason given so far.

• no

  r5

• Pope's usually resign due to a scandal of some sort... I smell trouble.

• I agree, R7. He's stepping down by Feb 28th.

• Pope Gregory resigned.

• r4, not since 1400.

• It has been about 600 years since the last resignation of a pope.

• Well I'm glad he's giving them at least two weeks notice. This must be the 11th Commandment.

• That bitch is focused on succession: Benedick wants to dictate church policy long after his death.

• r10/11, to be precise - 1415.

• It's all settled. Capri. Villa Paradisio. Georg has already decorated it with his magic touch. Think sophisticated, sensuous Bavarian. The Baroness in The Sound of Music. (My idol!) Lemon trees. Oleanders. Gardenias. And twin bedrooms with a connecting door. Jealous, bitches?

  Benny

• I would say it is a major health issue. They can't do what they did to the last pope which was to keep wheeling him out when he wasn't even able to stand up. However much we dislike them it is inhumane and this would be a very small step forward if this is the reason.

• I thought this was a troll post, but judging by the comments, I'm guessing it's true. So isn't the next Poop supposed to be the LAST one, or so they say?? Hmmm....

• This is an opportunity for the Vatican to fast-forward to the 19th century.

• It's true. It's breaking on all the news sites now.

  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/pope-benedict-xvi-to-resi_n_2660670.html

• Will he retire to a nunnery?

• Popes have never resigned before - they have to keep going till they drop, and as they are usually old when made popes, thats the deal. So there is going to be a new pope, and an ex-pope somewhere else? He will probably have to have a special palace and staff too. At least they can afford it.

• This is mysterious, to say the least. Unheard of, almost. What do we think could cause this resignation? We can't say illness or old age, because many Popes have been ill and old, and yet they fulfilled their duties right up until the end. I'm guessing this is a scandal. A very NASTY scandal. And he was forced to resign. But what could it be??? Hmm....

• Family Portrait. Georg is 57.

  http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1241679.1358402579!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/george17n-3-web.jpg

• I suppose God must have demanded his resignation.

• Actually, yes, that makes sense. I bet God is doing a leveraged buyout of the Vatican.

• There have been three popes resign but not in the last six hundred years. It is possible though. He says he does not have the strength to carry out his duties.

• They should ensure the next pope is in his 50s or 60s so will last for a decade or two, it must be expensive having new popes when the old ones drop off after a few years ...

• I wouldn't put it past the church to roll him out of cold storage once in awhile like they did with JPII, so I'm thinking it's some type of dementia or some epic shitstorm is on the horizon for the church and he wants to grab Georg Gänswein, his Prada slippers and hunker in a bunker before the shit stars flying.

• I'm not questioning him resigning. It hasn't been done in more than 600 yrs., but attitudes change and honestly, there are several popes who should have resigned but didn't. What I find strange, is that he's doing it so quickly. Two weeks? You'd think if his age has weakened him, he might say he'll resign in two months or something less urgent. I mean, CEOs and university presidents, etc. who need to retire due to failing health usually give more notice than two weeks. Either something really debilitating has been discovered, or it isn't his health at all. For him to say the end of February, is immediate.

• The Queen also in her mid or late 80s has no intention of resigning, it just does not go with the job. If you are a pope or a queen then thats your role until you die.

• Can they vote for his successor before resigns or do they have to wait till he's out?

• First Beatrix, now Benny. Losers!

  From%20my%20desk.%20Lilibet%20R

• Very odd timing.. You would think he would wait until at least after Easter .. He is resigning in the middle of lent? His health was that bad ?

• To leave DURING LENT????? No, just no. Very mysterious

• R30 I don't agree. A Pope is an elected position, a Monarch is born into the position. British Monarchs don't resign but some do such as the Dutch.

• But if it is a really debilitating disease, why not just live out the rest of his days in seclusion? None of his "duties" as Pope are so important that he can't cancel them or pass them along to staff. Dying is so less controversial than resignation. I agree that he's avoiding a shitstorm.

• So they are going to elect a new pope in the middle of lent?

• This story stinks on ice. I have a feeling that something BIG is coming. B.I.G. I'm so intrigued...

• Very odd timing.

• 'The bark of St. Peter'? WTF? Can someone explain this? From the Pope's quote at the HufPo link at R19 "After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry," he told the cardinals. "I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by words and deeds but no less with prayer and suffering. "However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern THE BARK OF ST. PETER and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary — strengths 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."

• I don't understand how this would help him avoid anything, whether it be a pedophilia scandal or something about his Nazi past. He would still be held accountable. Nor do I see it taking any pressure off the Catholic church.

• R36 If he isn't up to the job then it's time to go. I and I know other people were disgusted with the way JP was forced to go on. I think ghiz is a sensible thing to do and we can hope for someone more liberal.

• CBS

  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57568645/pope-benedict-xvi-reportedly-resigning-this-month/

• Alzheimers?

• Will the prophecy be right? Will the next Pope Peter Romanus be the last pope?

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes

• He's taking over from Angela Lansbury on the Australian tour of Driving Miss Daisy.

• It is strange that he'd leave during Lent. We don't see his schedule, but he does audiences and says mass and meets people every single week. Then he has meetings, etc. So yeah, he has a pretty demanding job for an 85 yr old. Maybe he is not 85. Maybe he's 90.

• I don't really believe this. Otherwise, this would be unprecedented. No pope has resigned in many, many, years!

• I think he can't travel anymore and he feels like traveling is important. They all travel a lot. So maybe that's a part of it. And maybe Alzheimers too.I admire him for not wanting to shit himself while saying an outdoor mass.

• Not many, many years, R48. CENTURIES. Something's up with this.

• "Advanced age" my ass So 'Bennie the XVI' is getting outa Dodge, like others of is 'Ilk', he'll probably end up in South America!! When 'Bernie Law' was busy covering up the sexual abuse in Boston, his immediate supervisor was, guess WHO, one Cardinal 'Ratzo' Ratzinger, who @ the time was defender of the Faith & became 'Bennie' the 16th!! Pope 'Bennie' is truly the REAL CULPRIT in the 'Sexual abuse cover-ups all over the world, truly a POS..... He's the one that gave 'Bernie Law' his marching orders & then, in order to get him outa Dodge, rewarded him with a cushy job in the Vatican because he was a 'good soldier....'Bennie & Bernie', birds of a feather! Pope 'Bennie', has also been sued in Texas for his engineering the sex abuse cover-up of three boys.  Here's the outcome of that action.....U.S. judge in Texas dismissed Pope Benedict XVI from a civil lawsuit accusing him of conspiracy to cover up the sexual abuse of minors by a seminarian, ruling Thursday that the pontiff has immunity as a head of state.......U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal cited a motion filed by the Justice Department, known as a "suggestion of immunity," in which the government said allowing the lawsuit to proceed would be "incompatible with the United States' foreign policy interests."..... 

• R44 Alzheimers is a degenerative disease that takes many years to set in. Was he forgetting things the last few years? Like moving with the times, allowing people to wear condoms, allowing priests to marry? Oh wait... you could be right.

• What about this do you not believe R48?

• BLACKMAIL

• [quote]I admire him for not wanting to shit himself while saying an outdoor mass. Wafers needs pâté.

• The Bark of St Peter is a symbol for the Catholic Church (a bark being a type of ship) with the Pope at the helm... Think of "the ship of state"...

• The last Miss Pope was decrepit for ages but had other people do his bidding and release statements and whatnot. It does sound like something's up. Maybe he wants to get married. Gurrrrl.

• Perhaps he just can't handle same sex marriages any more and that the world has moved on and gays now have equal rights .... and no-one is taking any notice of his rants.

• But a pope doesnt have to do anything much, the vatican has armies of priests and cardinals to do whatever needs doing. He is just a figurehead to be wheeled out at important events like Easter. OK, he may be too old to travel or do long masses or services, but resigning seems a bit steep, I mean how much longer has he got ?

• The Guardian just took down their comments section, which had reached 700 comments in a matter of minutes. It was getting inflammatory and any allusion to paedophilia seemed to be getting deleted by the moderator. Then BOOM, all comments removed.

• Shortly before issuing his resignation, somebody whispered to him "John Paul I"

• This is really big news, and really unexpected. This is REAL breaking news. Crazy, man.

• Dante put Celestine V in HELL for abdicating the papacy! Word to the wise.

  Paolo%20da%20Rimini%20

• There are several papal contenders in the wings, but no obvious front-runner – the same situation when Benedict was elected pontiff in 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II. When Benedict was elected pope at age 78 – already the oldest pope elected in nearly 300 years – he had been already planning to retire as the Vatican's chief orthodoxy watchdog to spend his final years writing in the "peace and quiet" of his native Bavaria. Contenders to be his successor include Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the archbishop of Vienna, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Canadian head of the Vatican's office for bishops. Longshots include Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. Although Dolan is popular and backs the pope's conservative line, the general thinking is that the Catholic Church doesn't need a pope from a "superpower." All cardinals under age 80 are allowed to vote in the conclave, the secret meeting held in the Sistine Chapel where cardinals cast ballots to elect a new pope. As per tradition, the ballots are burned after each voting round; black smoke that snakes out of the chimney means no pope has been chosen, while white smoke means a pope has been elected. Popes are allowed to resign; church law specifies only that the resignation be "freely made and properly manifested." Only a handful have done so, however and there's good reason why it hasn't become commonplace: Might the existence of two popes – even when one has stepped down – lead to divisions and instability in the church? Might a new resignation precedent lead to pressures on future popes to quit at the slightest hint of infirmity? Benedict himself raised the possibility of resigning if he were simply too old or sick to continue on in 2010, when he was interviewed for the book "Light of the World." "If a pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right, and under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign," Benedict said. The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had an intimate view as Pope John Paul II, with whom he had worked closely for nearly a quarter-century, suffered through the debilitating end of his papacy.

  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130211/eu-vatican-pope/

• The new Deathstar has been completed and is awaiting his arrival.

• He'll be known as the Dowager Pope. He'll move down the road to Dower House, wear purple gowns and elaborate hats, and still come to dinner at the main house to deliver crisp one-liners as needed.

• Plenty of replacements lined up. Good work, Ratzy.

  Satan

• Seeing people online hoping that the next Pope will support gay marriage and let priests marry. What planet are they on? Maybe in 300 years.

• The next Pope needs to be an American. If he were to speak English then a lot more people would understand him.

• [quote]This is really big news, and really unexpected. This is REAL breaking news. Crazy, man. It's unexpected, it's a surprise, yet it won't make the slightest difference to most of the world, nothing more that a curiosity. It's something for the media to jump on, and that's about it.

• I'm also failing to grasp how this is such a big deal.

• I feel bad for the people who booked travel to see him as Pope. The replacement is going to need to be as big a star to make up for it.

• [quote]The Bark of St Peter is a symbol for the Catholic Church (a bark being a type of ship) with the Pope at the helm... Think a big, gay cruise.

• Perhaps he has been advised to resign as the Catholic church needs to get up to date and embrace the same-sexers, and the old pope can't be expected to suddenly change his views on same sex marriage.

• W&W for r66. He can help clean the coffee off my computer screen.

• I agree with those who think it's a power play of sorts. He's just making sure that his policies and practices continue into the next papacy. It would take some mighty willful cardinals to vote against the wishes of a still living former Pope.

• Somebody dug out that photo of him in his Hitler Youth uniform pissing on a dead Jew.

• I love R65 so much.

  Senator%20Palpatine

• [quote] I feel bad for the people who booked travel to see him as Pope. The replacement is going to need to be as big a star to make up for it. Patti LuPone will be filling in until the conclave releases the white smoke.

• I think it is suspicious, too. I bet the next pope will be even more conservative than he is.

• He's not even been there 10 years. Is he vested?

• Imagine the costs necessary to provide for security, appropriate housing, staff, etc. for a former Pope. It's not like he's going to start doing his own laundry.

• Nude pics of him with Ernst Roehm must have surfaced.

• Resigning due to age... should be because he's an evil bastard, but The Holy We can't admit that...

• [quote]They can't do what they did to the last pope which was to keep wheeling him out when he wasn't even able to stand up. Oh -- that was him. During his last days, the MDs kept telling JP2 to stay in bed and he kept going out onto the icy balcony to wave. He's the one who wouldn't let it go and it finally killed him.

• r80: My exact fear. I worry that it will be one of those batshit right-wing African cardinals.

• Good for him to want to preserve his dignity and not end up like the last pope

• He accidentally mailed his dick pic to all of the contacts on his iPhone.

• [quote]from 1981 to the day he became pope, Ratzinger headed the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, the church's disciplinary arm. [quote]Hitchens argues that if Benedict, a former cardinal and one-time archbishop of Munich, Germany, were to hold his archbishops and cardinals accountable for the priests they reassigned, he would "move toward the impeachment of himself."

  http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/pope-benedict-fired-growing-sex-abuse-cover-ups/story%3Fid%3D10200682

  Sinead%20O%27Connor

• Sister Jude is making her way to the Vatican as we speak.

  Lana%20Banana

• I'm sure the Pope's resignation was one of the demands in Dormer's manifesto.

• Bernadette Ratzinger, the chambermaid's delight! Bernadette has left her cake out....in the rain....

• What took him so long? I wonder who'll make the running in the next conclave. As already pointed out, this could be a rare opportunity for the Catholic Church to reconnect with the real world. Schoenborn, the cardinal from Vienna, would probably be the best choice among those named. He's inteligent and, by Vatican standards, very reasonable. But they probably figure that after a record two non-Italian popes in a row, it's high time to return the papacy to Italy.

• Benedict will have ensured that whoever is chosen as his successor will be similar in thought to himself. The African Church is really the only place the Catholic Church is growing so it's possible we could have a black pope. The more opportunity the Church has to contribute to debates in society proves beyond doubt that it is a self regarding, noisy irrelevance.

• R86, that would be a nightmare. More right-wing, and yet people wouldn't dare to criticize him, unlike this one where people said "Nazi" and "pedophile" all the time.

• R68 is right. His resignation may very likely insure that the Church continues to head Right. It could be that he sees gay rights and other issues like abortion as threats to the faith, as something the Church needs to fight. He says he no longer has the strength, and maybe that's because he sees his main role as the leader who "defends" the faith, and travel the world preaching the Conservative version of Catholicism. One of his jobs as a successor to Peter, is to promulgate. He can't do that.He is announing, IMO, a recognition that the Church needs new energy not a new philosophy. So I see no hope for the Church with his resignation. It's like when people see younger politicians like Rubio or Cruz, or Cantor and Ryan, and thing they will be more progressive, or at least open to reason & common sense, when, in fact they are one of the biggest problems the GOP has. One of them.

• They will pick a third world pope.

• yeah, no way will the next pope support gay marriage Some people do not understand what the Vatican is about - at all

• Top story on CNN this morning. Chris Cuomo now reporting.

• It shows how much the world is changing. Today's Pope is tomorrow's Depends spokesperson.

• You're wicked R666. But I still W&W'd you.

• I'm a gay Catholic, and I agree that there is something extremely, seriously wrong for Pope Benedict XVI to be resigning in a matter of days (cancer?). The Prophecy of St. Malachy is converging with other Catholic prophecies that are also being fulfilled currently. These are grave and foreboding signs for our times. Keep your eyes peeled, folks!

• The Washington Post - continuing its sad decline - actually hid this in its morning news rundown under "Local News".

• What are the other prophecies, R102?

• r36 writes, "Dying is so less controversial than resignation." That's an astute observation especially when viewed in the context of how EXTREMELY conservative the current Vatican PTB are. I don't buy at face value the stated reasons for the Pope Pooping Out; not by a long shot. There is more here than meets the eye and ear.

  Della

• He's only been Pope for about 8 years.

• OK, so here's the TRUTH: he wanted to spend more time with his family.

• R104, for one, pay close attention to what you hear in the future about the apparitions at Medjugorje.

• How this repressive religion keeps keeping on in today's age astounds me. At least the uneducated will be outing themselves along with the third world.

• Maybe altzheimers. Though can't be firmly established until an autopsy, there are undeniable effects, like forgetfulness, blank spaces. The church would want to be proactive. I wonder how long this has been happening. Except for waving at crowds from the balcony (any idiot can do that, i.e., Queen Elizabeth) when was he last seen functioning in public. Has there been a dramatic weight loss? I LOVE A MYSTERY/CONSPIRACY!

• Queen Elizabeth is no idiot, R110. She travels all over the world meeting leaders and giving speeches - she doesn't just wave from her balcony. She's got good health, just like her mother did.

• There's the Third Letter of Fatima that has been the subject of speculation and suspicion for decade. Lucia, one of three children said to have been visited by Mary, was told three prophesies, and she wrote each out in a separate letter: The first was that the then being fought WW1 would soon end, but another world war would follow. The second told of the atomic bomb The third was so heinous that the Vatican suppressed it until 2000, when what was touted as the third letter was released. This version claimed an overthrow of the church by an heathen-sounding army who would massacre the Pope and all his Cardinals. Practically the whole world called bullshit on the supposed third letter -- it is common knowledge that when J23 was shown the letter after his ascension, he was so shaken that he burst into tears. A massacre of the College of Cardinals is not very nice, but given the 20th Century, it was not devastating, especially in light of news of the atomic bomb. Then one of the priests who had been charged to carry the letter from Fatima to Rome said the letter produced by the Vatican in 2000 looked nothing like the letter he had carried. Through all this, Lucia remained silent, and when she died a few years later, the church applauded most of all her "obedience." I'm working from memory here -- google "Fatima" and "Third Letter" and you will find acres of data.

• Travels all over the world. Waving. Walking and Waving. Riding and waving. She has no real power. Any important discussions are handled by genuine ministers etc. I think it's hugely muscled arm. That's why she always wears a coat.

  R110

• It is certainly odd, but I doubt that anyone would ever "out" him. He could just put out a contract on anyone who would be a threat to him in any way. He is also the head of the Mafia, and the one who grants them so-called "absolution" for all their murders and other crimes. I guess a lot of these people really believe all the BS, but I have to think that the head people, and certainly the so-called "pope" himself must know that he is just a con-artist.

• [quote]it is common knowledge that when J23 was shown the letter after his ascension, he was so shaken that he burst into tears. PS -- it may have also been the impetus behind Vatican II.

  r112

• Wow, r112, you make Scientology sound like the sane religion.

• R114, if the Pope is the head of the Mafia then who bumped off JP1?

• Sorry if this has been posted already, but this is his last Tweet: [quote]@Pontifex: We must trust in the mighty power of God’s mercy. We are all sinners, but His grace transforms us and makes us new. The only reply: "Damn straight nigga"

  https://twitter.com/pontifex/status/300562757705678848

  Really

• R66 wins.

• BLACK POPE! BLACK POPE! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!

• [quote] We must trust in the mighty power of God’s mercy. We are all sinners That's pretty interesting. And, perhaps, ominous. The frontrunner black cardinal in question, Cardinal Turkson, is a total asshole who objected to the UN declaration on human rights including gay people, in the sense that gay men and lesbians did not have a right to be protected from torture.

  Former%20altar%20girl

• The Illuminati and the Trilateral Commission, r117. Duh.

  Queen%20Elizabeth%20II%2C%20grabbing%20Mika%20Brzezinski%27s%20double%20skinny%2

• Oprah-Pope

  new%20world%20order%20%28with%20extra%20sausage%29

• Too pooped to pope.

• Dear, a black pope would undoubtedly come from Africa and be far right-wing on social issues. Relax. There's no mystery here. Ratzy was able to get the power of the church out of the hands of traditionalists and into the hands of Opus Dei. Waiting until he croaks could be a messy proposition, and they want Opus Dei's power consolidated. The next pope will be more conservative, though presumably someone who puts a grandfatherly face on it. This is bad news. Clearly the right-wing nuts are lining things up.

• Poprah.

• It's expected yet unexpected!

  Sister%20Nina%20Garcia%3B%20order%20of%20the%20missing%20chins

• [quote]How this repressive religion keeps keeping on in today's age astounds me. Have you met me?

  Islam

• Fuck! I haven't even started rewriting 'Candle in the Wind' OK - what rhymes with Nazi?

  sir%20elton%20john

• Ratzi, conveniently, r129.

• Next stop, DANCING WITH THE STARS!

  Joey%20Red%20Shoes%20Ratzinger

• The Catholic Church has never changed their stance on birth control so gay marriage is not even close to being accepted. They will just keep going down the tubes and regurgitating their same message of intolerance and hate under the guise of being men of God. Personally I hope there is a big scandal coming, just because it will be something new and different for a change. I am sure Rick Santorum and others of his ilk will find a way to blame it on Obama or homosexuals.

  Anonymous

• Was the Pope a Nazi ?

  https://twitter.com/ItIsMemorable/status/300990505431474176/photo/1

• A scandal would be great.

• He's resigning (hoping) to hasten the Apocalypse. well according to their own superstition anyway.

• Ratzi Nazi. Buh bye.

• He was given an offer he could not refuse.

  Lucia%20Ratzi

• Two weeks is along time from now … think he'll change his mind in the coming days? It's a papal prerogative, you know.

• I hear the climate is wunderbah in Argentina. In fact, the Fuhrer's private residence came onto the market around 2010. RATzinger needs to make a ratline straight to Argentina, his friends there are dying out.

• I find the prophecies fascinating. I am not catholic, and this is the first I have read of them.

• What he should do, as long as he's setting precedent, is enter a monastery and take a vow of silence for the rest of his life. Any public comments or writings will be scrutinized for possible disagreement with the current Pontiff. He needs to do everyone a favor and just disappear.

• interesting... it’s an abdication, not a resignation: It’s a surprise, obviously. This hasn’t happened since 1296, which is 717 years ago . . . The pope then was Pope Celestine V. He was 85 years old, too, so there’s an interesting historical symmetry here. Pope Benedict XVI has said on numerous public occasions including his most recent interview book that were he to come to the judgment that he did not have the physical stamina left to give the church the leadership it deserved, that he would abdicate. I think that is frankly the word in this occasion. A resignation is something that someone hands to someone else. Popes have no one to resign to, so this is an abdication. He has said that he would consider this. I am sure that he considered it thoughtfully and prayerfully.

• He lost his Faith. That's the only reason for it.

• The Celestine Prophecy!

• He's definitely going to try to control who comes after him. But he will fail.

• Will the African Cardinal -if elected - change his name to Pope Chocula?

• Surely he did, r142. He is such a thoughtful and decent man. ........ .......... .............. ................... NOT!!

• The collection plate has finally fallen to the point that they know they need a rebranding.

• r133 they knew all that before he became pope- why would that lead to him resigning now? This has to be something they're trying to keep from being exposed. and it's big enough to risk the amount of speculation that comes along with him resigning. Fascinating stuff.

• Told you so!

  *kisses doll*

• [quote]Schoenborn, the cardinal from Vienna, would probably be the best choice among those named. He's inteligent and, by Vatican standards, very reasonable. I don't think they'll go for anyone from Austria. There's a big hoo-ha going on there because many in the Austrian clergy signed a petition for the church to allow priests to marry and for women to become priests.

• The Guardian does have a comments section. It's up to 1400.

• What a dick move to take the job, or 'calling', with the intention to quit as soon you feel like it. No way this is about health reasons.

• Quitter!

  Sarah%20Palin

• Maybe they can find the pope in a pizza?

  Famous%20Ray

• Don't worry. We've got the new one picked here. Like the Dalai Lama.

  China

• His retirement benefits are a bit disappointing. He's going to be bunking with some contemplative nuns on the periphery of the Vatican. He will get free medical and dental, meals and a clothing allowance. Popex will have a guest room for visitors or shole mates. All of his investments will be tax free so long as he resides in the Vatican. If he lives more than 5 years he will have to pay his own livery and wages for staff of his Papalx apartment within the convent. He gets a Costco card and a black American Express card to defray any unexpected needs, desires and or costs. The Curia has agreed to pay for the hem shortening of all drag garments as the Pontifx shrinks in size due to age or consumption by any disease. All Jewelry and appearance applications will become the property of Popex until his death when said possessions will be auctioned off to participating gay bars in the greater Rome area. His camp name, Razi Snazi Saintchquach will be retired ASAP following his demise. Other minor issues will be included in the fine print of the contract.

• Can I just remind everyone that Catholics make up 1/6 of the world's population; that's why it is being so widely covered, not because of a in any way religious media. Can I also remind people that with such huge amounts of people, there's always going to be a few bad eggs. That doesn't mean you should seek to improve, but maybe have a think before you throw the baby out with the bath water. That Catholic church may be deeply flawed, but it also does massive amounts for some of the world's poorest countries.

• I wonder if this has something to do with the butler that was going to leak information.

• IF it does "massive amounts for some of the world's poorest countries" it has ironically helped to CREATE and EXTEND the misery in some of the world's poorest countries by converting the masses to catholicism and then DENYING BIRTH CONTROL and advocating TONS OF CHILDREN.

  truth

• Has the upcoming HBO documentary about molestation in the Catholic church been mentioned.

• I wonder if this will free him up to become a commentator on Fox News? Now that they've gotten rid of Sarah Palin and Dick Morris.

• From BBC: The brother of the German-born Pope said the pontiff had been advised by his doctor not to take any more transatlantic trips and had been considering stepping down for months. Talking from his home in Regensburg in Germany, Georg Ratzinger said his brother was having increasing difficulty walking and that his resignation was part of a "natural process". He added: "His age is weighing on him. At this age my brother wants more rest." The Pope is not expected to take part in the conclave that will choose his successor, and will then retire to the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo when he leaves office.

• I find this troubling. For him to resign during Lent is almost sacriligeous. It's a sin of some proportion. He is saying, in essence, that he is turning his back on Christ and the Church. Look, he can resign, but don't do it during Lent! Maybe the Freemasonry that has infiltrated the church has gotten to him.

• I wondered that, too, r159. And yes, r142, this is an abdication. Back to the intrigue: How many Popes have we seen with one foot in the grave, still being wheeled out, hunched over, barely sentient, but damned if they weren't going to die on the job? Something is rotten in the State of the Vatican....

  Della

• What R160 said. Centuries of exploitating impoverishment in order to retain captive followers.

• [quote]I find the prophecies fascinating. Fascinating but false! Our company discovered that just a few months ago.

  Mayan Calendar Company

• R166 = Sister Mary Helen

• [quote]He's resigning (hoping) to hasten the Apocalypse. well according to their own superstition anyway. I haven't been paying attention, but isn't an asteroid supposed pass disturbingly close to earth in the near future. One would hope it wipes a certain island off the North West coast of Europe off the map.

• [quote]How many Popes have we seen with one foot in the grave, still being wheeled out, hunched over, barely sentient, but damned if they weren't going to die on the job? Oh, the drama! Have we actually seen more than one who fits this description in the past 50 years?

• I think that the last season of American Horror Story weighed heavily on the Pontiff, and he has decided for the good of the church, and in Sister Jude's memory, to step down.

• If Razi Snazi Snatchquach marries in retirement, will he have an hyphenated last name?

• Mike Barnacle said on Morning Joe that when he goes to his Catholic church on Sundays that it's all old, gray-haired people now. Apparently, young people have left the church.

• The comet will herald the rise of the anti-christ!

• Does this test the Catholics pereception of an omnipotent God, or what? Probably not.

• How can a comet herald an anti-christ when there was no christ in the first place?

• The next pope with be African or Latin American. That's where the "faithful" are supposed to be. Someone told me there would be white smoke for a black pope!

• The omnipotent god force is everywhere, it simply has no perception we exist.

• 50 years, r170? Try all of'em going back 600 years.

  Della

• Cardinal Roger M. Mahony praised outgoing Pope Benedict XVI for his legacy of spreading Catholicism throughout the world and said he looks forward to traveling to Rome to help elect a successor. Pope Benedict announced Monday during a Vatican concistory that he would be resigning at the end of the month. "My strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry," he said. Benedict said he would step down at 8 p.m. on Feb. 28. A conclave of cardinals will be held in March to elect a new pope in time for Easter.

  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/02/pope-benedict-cardinal-mahony.html

• Dear "BREAKING NEWS!" idiot: You are not braking the story. You are merely copying it from another website.

  The%20rest%20of%20us

• R178 then why do Catholics try to speak for it?

• [quote] there's always going to be a few bad eggs. First, let me say that I was brought up Catholic and my sister and her husband still attend church weekly. I am so tired of hearing about "a few bad apples" or "rotten eggs". It's not just a few. It's a substantial number all over the world and it's still just the tip of the iceberg. The Church has systematically covered up massive amounts of crimes for decades (really, centuries) paying out billions of dollars to victims, politicians, police and prosecutors to protect their brand, ignoring what is right and just. And to say the knowledge stopped at the bishop level is absurd. This is the hierarchical institution in the world. No one moves up without going along. The old adage that "a fish rots from the head down" is singularly applicable when it comes to the Church.

• [quote]The next pope with be African or Latin American. That's where the "faithful" are supposed to be Yes but the money is Europe and North America and the Vatican can`t afford to alienate the money. If they are thinking strategically, they would pick the Quebec Cardinal. He is very well liked at the Vatican, has worked extensively in Latin America, and would be the first non-European Pope since antiquity (there were a few North African popes). It would be the first step towards an African or Latin American Pope. That said, conclaves are a medieval institution and logic and wisdom don`t always prevail.

• Why doesn't god allow a pope to live forever. I think that would capture everyones attention. If one church possessed and was lead by a 2033 year old man, I bet all these ponzi preachers would have a hell of time finding recruits.

• So according to the Prophecy there will be one last pope after Ratzinger and then it will be end times? Or it will just mark the death of the Catholic church?

• [quote]I am so tired of hearing about "a few bad apples" or "rotten eggs". It's not just a few. It's a substantial number all over the world and it's still just the tip of the iceberg. Can you be a little more specific? I remember reading the pedophile scandal affected about 1% of catholic clergy. Would this be considered a "substantial" number in your opinion?

• And the last pope's name will be Peter?

• R184 The power hierarchy blames a lot of the child abuse on the American Catholic Church. There's a ton of blame to go around from the people at the Vatican and Rome but those people see the US Church as dropping the ball completely. So no American pope.Does the Quebecker speak Italian?If he only speaks Joual and broken English he ain't getting very far!;)

• I think the new Pope needs to be zazzie to capture the heart beat of the worlds youth. He need to be able to sing and dance, really get down with the brothers and sisters too. Show me a Pope that can spin on his beanie and I'll show you a Pope with creed-marks all over his cassock.

  Sheldon%20Cooper%20Phd

• Why do people who hate religion and the Catholic Church always start getting excited that the church may progress with a more liberal pope? It's almost as if they're going to join the church if they change their ways.

• [quote] the power hierarchy blames a lot of the child abuse on the American Catholic Uh, no dear.

  IRELAND

• The illuminati are trying to destroy the Catholic Church because the church is not apart of their future new world order plans. There has been a power struggle between the Catholic and the illumiati for along time now. The next pope will be African and the last.

• I want the God I don't believe in to agree with me!

  Veruca%20Salt

• [quote]Mike Barnacle said on Morning Joe that when he goes to his Catholic church on Sundays that it's all old, gray-haired people now. Apparently, young people have left the church. No one left. They never entered to begin with. The CC is meant for the 3rd world.

• [quote]Dear "BREAKING NEWS!" idiot: You are not braking the story. Dear "BRAKING NEWS!" idiot: Your inane scold came to a screeching halt with that one.

• [quote]The next pope will be African and the last. Isn't 'Last Stop, African Pope' a Tom Stoppard play?

  the%20letter%20P

• [italic]BLACK POPE! BLACK POPE! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT![/italic] Why do you care?

• Jeez.... I was disappointed that Hugh didn't win a BAFTA too, but to resign???? A bit OTT!!!

• If anything good comes out of these rotten priests abusing kids, I hope it means loosening of the grip the RC church has on Ireland. And it wasn't just priests in Ireland who abused children-- nuns did, too. The nuns didn't sexually abuse the kids, but they sadistically tormented children, particularly "wayward girls." The systematic sadism that governed the places where girls were put away and treated as slave labor was as disgraceful as the sexually molestations. Perhaps worse, because the parents knew their girls were being brutalized and believed that they deserved it.

• r187 - that number is closer to 10%.

  http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AtAGlance/data.htm%23accused_priests

  r183

• As bogus as religion is, religion remains fascinating. It's the most visible example of the mass indoctrination of Billions to the validity of smoke and mirrors. Religion equates to the selling of billions of Brooklyn Bridges. What other magic trick has lasted this long?

• Wow. The two most powerful men on earth will both be black.

• If it's scandal, it must be the biggest ever, not manageable through the usual channels of indifference, money, lies, or murder. Has to be an Alzheimer's diagnosis, coupled with physical weakness. The old dude can be slow and indistinct on the balcony, but not silent or babbling. A fast-moving cancer would be allowed to run its course, surely? Or 'hastened.' It's possible the Pontiff has got wind of a plot and finessed it with what strength remains. I assume he still trusts his food-taster.

• [quote]The power hierarchy blames a lot of the child abuse on the American Catholic Church. No but you do exemplify the problem that the Church has with the USA. From the 1980s on, there were child abuse scandals in Ireland, France, Belgium, Canada, etc... and the American church paid absolutely no attention. To Americans, nothing matters until it happens to Americans. Only when the story involved Americans did Americans take notice and become outraged. They act as if they were the only victims and as if it only happened in the USA. There is much resentment of this in the worldwide church. [quote]There's a ton of blame to go around from the people at the Vatican and Rome but those people see the US Church as dropping the ball completely. So no American pope. The real reason is that it is assumed that an American Pope will be seen by many as leading a solely American church. Nothing matters to Americans until it affects Americans. [quote]Does the Quebecker speak Italian?If he only speaks Joual and broken English he ain't getting very far!;) Gee Einstein, would he be one of the top three contenders and currently working at the Vatican otherwise? They call him 'the king maker' (though I have idea why).

• [quote]Wow. The two most powerful men on earth will both be black. LOL. As if the President of America is powerful.

• This is a giant break with tradition from a man who has made every effort to be traditional, so something is not being told about it. Ratzinger has had the past eight years to establish his policies and put the people he wants in place to see that his will would be accomplished until his last breath, and then the mourning period, even if he were to never again be able to speak or even be conscious. This break with tradition, choosing the next "pope" while the current one is still alive, and human nature being such as it is, means that a significant percentage of Catholics will never accept the next so-called "pope" as legitimate. Ratzinger has to have some compelling reason for doing this. Failing health and then death happens to everyone, and is certainly no reason for a traditionalist to suddenly change tradition without a reasonable explanation.

• [italic]BLACK POPE! BLACK POPE! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! Why do you care?[/italic] Obviously, because it will piss off my parents. Oh God, imagine Obama meeting the Black Pope. They'll probably go Episcopalian when they see that.

• and that, r208, is why it won't happen.

• 1%?!! What a joke. You know full-well the number is more like 20%.

  At%20least%21

• When I was a kid I thought there were three things I would never live to see. One was a subway series. The other was contact with ETs and the third was a black pope. Well, we had a subway series in 2000. So if we get a black pope does that mean an alien visit is destine to happen? I sure hope so. That would be cool. Much, much cooler than a black pope.

• Too bad Larry King can't report this big story right now. His insights would be valuable.

• R192 Yes dear! Ireland was small potatoes compared to what happened in the US. Catholics are not 90 percent of the population here in the US. They face a far more critical eye here because of that fact. R205 From the 80s on the US had child abuse scandals that were hushed up. Where do you live the Arctic circle? This has been going on for a long time here. One of the priest in the local parish was abusing kids here. From your comment about the abuse scandal alone, you seem like you don't know what you're talking about. Wrong about the sole US pope. Many people in the Vatican see America as decadent and licentious that's why the child abuse scandals got out of hand here according to the hierarchy. That was John Paul II's major complaint about the US. Queenie McQueen my question was a legitimate one about the Quebecker. If you want to be a witless wonder go back to middle school and act like an immature,flaky queen there. DL likes intelligent and well mannered people unlike yourself! Touche'

• Agreed, r207. Someone ridiculed me earlier in the this thread by responding with "Oh, the drama" when I described this relinquishment of power as one of "intrigue." Well, I stand by that word because it perfectly applies here for the reasons I've stated earlier and for what you write. I'll make this about me, too. I'm alive to watch and ponder an event that has last happened six hundred years ago. That alone makes this compelling, real life drama. So, as I get comfortable in my seat to watch, pass me the popecorn.

  Della

• They won't elect a black pope. Benedict elevated several dozen more Euro cardinals in the last year or so to prevent control shifting to Africa or Latin America or the Philippines.

• I think the HBO special and the LA Diocese being forced to open the books - is just the beginning. Ratzinger was the keeper of the secrets. What happens if they secrets have to be revealed. The level of covered up pedophilia and financial corruption must be off the charts. He's stepping down is just the next step in the chess game.

• EVIL evil man. His face = the ugliness of his soul.

• They'll just find another creep just as awful to replace him with.

• Anyone see those 'come home' commercials on TV that the Catholic church has been pushing? I wonder how that's going for them? I wonder if changing their views might bring more people 'home'.

• R215 Where are the Freemason conspiracy theorists on this point? R216 Could be.If he know about all of that it would hard for the Roman Catholic Church to live down. They have more than enough problems already.

• According to the Prophecy of St. Malachy -- "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End." St. Malachy prophesized that the final pope would be "Peter the Roman", which is interesting because no pope to date has chosen the name of Peter out of respect for Peter the Apostle. There has also been speculation that the final pope would be black. Even more curiously, there is a black cardinal in Ghana, Peter Turkson, who is believed to be a frontrunner and whose name has come up in previous discussions of papal appointment.

• maybe someone somewhere has actual video (proof) of ratzy's after-hour activities.

• There's probably undisputed proof that he was/is a Nazi.

• [quote]Try all of'em going back 600 years. You mentioned "How many Popes have [bold]we seen[/bold]..." Della - r179, therefore "we" have not seen many popes in our entire life. We may be very aware of them and even have studied their history, but we have not "seen" them. Now that we are aware of your claim to have seen 600 years of popes, we'll have to view anything you post from a very different angle.

• [quote]There has also been speculation that the final pope would be black. Oh c'mon You can't see or acknowledge that this kind of "speculation" is just fucking racist tripe? Of course they're going to say a black pope "would be the END! OMG! " while clutching their shiny all white pearls. It's the Catholic equivelent of "There's goes the neighborhood."

• I'm not Catholic,I really don't care if he resigns or not. I don't believe in any superstitious "prophecies" of some "saint". Religions come and they go. Look at ancient Egypt. Their great temples are in ruins, some magnificent ones now no longer exist.This will happen to the Vatican eventually,too. They will just appoint another right-winger as pope. Nothing will change about their attitudes toward gays.I walked away. Others will follow. I wonder what Jesus would have to say about all the intolerance towards gays. He needs to make his second coming and straighten (no pun intended) the issue out.

• They know of the prophecy as well. And it looks like they tend to let it influence them. One cardinal a couple selections back- during the selection of a new Pope - hired a boat and went up and down the river in Rome trying to make himself look like the next Pope prophecy. (Something about Priest from the River in Latin.) Hah. They didn't pick him though. But it did fit the guy they did pick. I have news for these Cardinals. They are men. They are human beings. Nothing more.

• Ok, I'll play along, r244. I'll amend to strike the words "...we seen." Happy now? And view my posts from any angle you want to, but for you to deny that this is an extraordinary, intrigeing event is just plain wrong.

  Della

• so what was in that third letter?

• Well in fairness, R225, that prophecy was made back in the 12th Century and there had already been 3 Popes from Africa (North) at that point. In any case, it doesn't matter where the next Pope is from. He'll be right wing no matter what.

• oops- make that to r224.

  Della

• [quote]but for you to deny that this is an extraordinary, intrigeing event is just plain wrong. Are you drunk or hallucinating, Della? I think it's an extraordinary event. I've been reading the news from U.S. sources and Euro sources all day. WTF is the matter with you? You're so busy being a total drama queen that you don't even know what the hell you're writing and reading. Put down the bottle or bong or whatever.

• R229, the Church did release the contents of the letter, but most people thought it was bullshit and that they're still keeping the contents secret. Even some cardinal said the letter released is not the real one he had seen decades before. Some have put the pieces together through interviews with Sister Lucia and okay, yes hearsay, but apparently it has something to do with the end times and sounds similar to the Malachy prophecy. Supposedly Satan has already infiltrated the Church which if you believe in that stuff, I don't know how you don't think that's true what with the abuse cover up.

• Why do so many refer to right wing? What if a new pope is for gay marriage it doesnt mean everyone else will follow. Everyone still has their own mind to make.

• [quote] Supposedly Satan has already infiltrated the Church It's true!

  Sister%20Mary%20Eunice

• What a fantastic leveraged-media tie-in for the April 14 Season 3 premiere of Showtime's "The Borgias"!

• Oh please, this is like in Russia where Putin chose his personal buttboy as his successor to make sure that he can still rule the country behind the scenes. In this case Benedict will choose another Opus Dei member to keep this fringe cult in power.

• r234? You are either 8 years old, or just plain stupid. NO pope will be 'for gay marriage'. Ever. The Roman Catholic Church will NEVER be pro-gay.

• Ok r232. Shall we let the bugles sing truce? I interpreted you post at r170 to mean you found this whole thing a tempest in a teapot. I was wrong. I'm sorry.

  Della

• [quote]The Roman Catholic Church will NEVER be pro-gay. Never say never. In the past, there was gay marriage in the church. They've kept it well-hidden so you have to do a lot of research. The church also had trial marriage that lasted for one year and one day. At the end of that time, if either party wanted out, all records of that marriage were erased. There were married priests and nuns; some in same-sex marriage.

• One rumor circulating is Benny in first stage of Parkinson's.

• We will know in due time who our next Holy Father will be and he will be chosen by the Cardinals with the guidance of the Holy Spirit just like always.

• "MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD spotlights similar sex abuse cases in Ireland and Italy, and highlights the horrific actions of Marcial Maciel Degollado, a prominent church fundraiser and ruthless sex criminal beloved by Pope John Paul II. The film reveals that in 2001, Cardinal Ratzinger – now His Holiness, Benedict the 16th – ordered that EVERY sex abuse case involving a minor come through his desk, essentially establishing him as the most knowledgeable person in the world regarding priestly sexual abuse of minors."

• R242, how long have you been drinking the Catholic Kool-Aid? Or do they call it Jesus juice?

• [quote]From the 80s on the US had child abuse scandals that were hushed up. Where do you live the Arctic circle? This has been going on for a long time here. One of the priest in the local parish was abusing kids here. From your comment about the abuse scandal alone, you seem like you don't know what you're talking about. It was going on EVERYWHERE, but Americans didn't care or notice until it happened to them. The story broke in the USA long after other countries had had their scandals and dealt with them. Your POV is America-centric. Perhaps you should move TO the Arctic Circle and see what non-americans really think. [quote]Queenie McQueen my question was a legitimate one about the Quebecker Bullshit. It was cheap shot. "If he only speaks Joual and broken English he ain't getting very far" I know that was joke because of your emoticon, but the answer was obvious to any "intelligent and well-mannered" person... you know, the type who don't resort to such clever witticisms as "Queenie McQueen".

  Immature%20witless%20wonder%2C%20and%20still%20smarter%20than%20you

• That was interesting, R243. It also paints JPII in a rather harsh light-all but shutting down the investigation of Dellagado since they were personal friends and he was a top money-bringer for the church. Apparently, Ratzinger put the investigation on the back burner until JPII's death, then started it up right after and Dellagado resigned. Maybe (not likely) Ratzinger can be charged now with something.

• They'll never appoint a black pope. Once you go black, you never go back.

• This bears repeating -- the (now resigning) pope is "THE most knowledgeable person in the world regarding priestly sexual abuse of minors." I am pretty sure that has more to do with his resignation than age or weakness.

• IDK will a black pope be ok to white catholics?

• [quote]They'll never appoint a black pope. Once you go black, you never go back. As with democracy in America.

• R227. But in that concave they did elect John XXIII, who was the Patriarch of Venice and always in a boat riding throughout the city!

• I can't believe so many people give a shit about what Catholics do.

• "... the cache of documents in the Los Angeles case may turn out to be something of a tipping point."

• Then you're an idiot, R252, because by the end of 2011, there were approximately 1.2 billion Catholics in the world (almost 1/5th of the world's population), and the rate of increase of Catholics is actually higher the the rate of increase of the world's population.

• [R252] Yes - I did say it described the guy they did pick. Just was trying to say that another Cardinal was trying to make it look like it was him. Some are saying that the comments about the very last Pope were added on much time later - as a forgery. Who knows? I do think the Vatican/Church is in real jeopardy with the sex scandal. Also I think there's a financial scandal. The whole house of cards could be coming down. They will elect whatever Cardinal they think has the best chance of weathering the huge storm that is about to hit them. I think HBO just may be the catalyst that starts it all. I watched it -I am a former Catholic and certainly already knew these people were horrid - but watching that documentary actually made me sick.

• They elect one they can control. Is one member of the US Bush clan a cardinal by any chance?

  Pope%20Rove%20...%20uhm%2C%20Ratzinger

• Is he going to spend his final days in a boys' home?

• Unlike rest of media, Der Spiegel has printed the unvarnished story. Outtake: it's about power, money and sickeness. Vatican riven from top to bottom by gay power struggles (think DL in satin); attempts to stop Vatican Bank as a money laundering institution thwarted; Benny's butler in prison; cardinals want Georg out; Benny sick, tired and not interested in the politics.

• The type of people who are still Catholic are the type of people who would squawk about a black pope.

• Thanks for the heads up, r258. I went straight to their website after reading your post. I was most intrigued by the info that Uncle Ben didn't have all of the Vatican staff under his thumb; that some were running amok and out of his control.

  Della

• "that some were running amok and out of his control" That's probably why he is stepping down.

• Does that mean that their god made a mistake? Don't they believe that they are doing what their god instructed them to do when they elect their pope? Or are they admitting that their god didn't really guide them in their choice? And, isn't the pope supposed to be infallible? Isn't quitting a failure on his part?

• The new pope will be Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouelette, least objectionable choice.

• What does God need with a Starship?

• Last time I thought they were going to pick someone from Central America - the Spanish- speaking Catholic population is fairly huge, and they might want to fight back against the evangelicals gaining ground there.

• It's probably been said upthread (it's 265 posts) but this reminds me of the Prophecy of The Last Ten Popes.

  http://www.bibleprobe.com/last10popes.htm

  Hold Me!

• won't it be scary if the next one has a Peter in his name somewhere?

• Della is right, certainly. But. I had been expecting something from him, but assumed it could be news of a terminal illness. His calling the last "surprise" consistory to pump some Europeans into the ranks of cardinalate voters was a sure sign something was up, as was his elevation of his secretary. He kept his decision from many of the cardinals - Sodano said as much. But I think more than anything it is a rationalist's declaration of defeat in the face of age and some debilitation - the situation is serious enough that he knows he can't do anything, won't do anything, and is slipping out. The obvious choice is that he wanted to do things this way to help secure a like-minded successor - even though he and JPII have completely filled the College of Cardinals, there would be more chance of a reformer dark horse if things were allowed to go into the twilight/curial-machination phase associated with popes in grave, lengthy conditions. Catholic dissatisfaction could have demanded a response. And when a privately brought it up, no one bothered to plead with him to continue leading the flock. He always has seen himself as a JPII caretaker until the right man came forward or aged into viability. Watch for the subtle signs of pressure or evidence of the radical right's support for a particular member of the papabile. Their selection is more likely to be an African or a European (present bets are on an Italian, but that could change. The Africans are horrible conservatives - they could present "a real change" in terms of color in order to maintain the appalling Luddite control that came with the last "real change" - the political, conservative JPII, who made deals all over the planet and didn't give a shit about administrative ethics.

• R267, see R221. There is one in contention whose real name is Peter.

• Any baptized Roman Catholic male is eligible to be elected/selected Pope. Which one of you guys want the job? Write a brief cover letter limited to one paragraph stating why you should be Pope.

  Della

• So what? Who cares?

  Joy%20Behar

• [quote]won't it be scary if the next one has a Peter in his name somewhere? Yes, but it will be hilarious if the next one has a Dick in his ass.

  Harry%20Baals

• R256 it doesn't have to a cardinal or even a priest. Technically any Catholic male anywhere in the world is eligible to be pope. So Jebb Bush is eligible. (I'm waiting by the phone!)

• Or maybe it will be George P Bush, " the little brown one." As Poppy Bush called him. Hispanic and I think not married.

• [quote]This is an opportunity for the Vatican to fast-forward to the 19th century. The Enlightenment would be a little more realistic.

• "Malachy's final words: In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock among many tribulations; after which the seven-hilled city (Rome, the seat of the Vatican) will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. It is striking that at least one pope had a similar mystical vision: In 1909, while granting an audience, pope Pius X leaned back and closed his eyes. Suddenly he "awoke" and cried out: "What I see is terrifying. Will it be myself? Will it be my successor? What is certain is that the pope will quit Rome, and in leaving the Vatican, he will have to walk over the dead bodies of his priests." Pius's prophecy was fulfilled neither in his own time nor in that of the next pontiff. According to Malachy's vision of the Church's "tribulation," it applies to the successor of Gloria Olivae-the next pope but one."

  http://www.bibleprobe.com/last10popes.htm

  Hold me Scoob!

• Well, thank you, r268. The next Pope had better be very tech savvy in social media, too. When I read the Der Spiegel piece with its info about some of the rogue Vatican staff I was struck by the image of a hopelessly out of touch old man surrounded by a tech savvy staff and the power that gives you over those who aren't. I know I'm presuming that Benedict didn't know how to, say, use email but I know that many, many old persons don't.

  Della

• there is also Cardinal Peter Erdo

• [quote] I know I'm presuming that Benedict didn't know how to, say, use email but I know that many, many old persons don't. That's what his buddy Georg was for! Among other things.....

• I forgot to add, r268 that I found your analysis of this whole thing very interesting. It makes sense- if all the chess pieces are in place now why not "check" now and then let his successor achieve "check-mate."

  Della

• Whoever the Pope , he will be very conservative, since both this Pope and the previous one only made ultra-conservatives Cardinals.

• He has been a disgrace to the Church.

• We must all pray for our souls and for a new leader to emerge in the holy Roman Catholic Church who will lead his flock towards God. Please, my brothers and sisters, pray with me and ask God to find a new leader for our Church.

• Correct, R281.

• The successing Peope's name does not have to be Peter, nor would he need to be from Rome to fulfill Malachy's prophecy. It's been predicted that the events of the Book of St. John the Divine (the book of Revelation) will kick off as the final pope tries to abdicate / flee Rome as if burns one final time.

• R245 Queenie McQueen there was no shot. I have folks in Quebec that's how I know what joual is!I love Quebec it's a great place.My point was that the Pope has to be Italian speaking you looked too much into it. However you not knowing about how the press in the US covered up what was happening in the US told me that you are not from here and are getting misinformation in another country. That being said, that makes me far smarter than you because I'm here in the US hearing these terrible stories firsthand while you're buying bullshit in some other place!You come off sounding like a "In Europe we do it right, in America you do it wrong" type. R258 How much of it is a gay power struggle like DL?

• Where can I find that prediction R285?

• Is Ratzinger really gay? Was Georg his partner?

• I'm betting on the Brazilian cardinal. The nod to a different continent will be a major boost for the church. There will never be a pope from the US - the US is a declining client base for the Catholic church.

• I was baptized Catholic. Nevermind the fact that it was the last time I went to church... I could totally be pope! They've been trying for 2000 years to destroy that church and I can get it done in just a few short weeks. Elect me pope!

• "think DL in satin" Lol!

• 259= moron. A black pope would undoubltedly be African and ultr-right wing. Just don't get it do you? Same guy who thinks drones are great because Obama is black. And doesn't understand how that kind of tokenism is racist.

• R287, Scroll down the page. There is an assortment of predictions and visions from various people. None of the people say "then the events of the Book of Revelation will kick off", but that is what is being described (the three days of darkness, the natural disasters and cities being destroyed by fire etc.). It's describing the final judgment from God. It's interesting that the old and new testament promises that the faithful and those who pray to the one God will be pared and unharmed even amid the final judgment - yet the prophets keep seeing destruction among their own (no surprise). Jesus said that the lowliest people would get into Heaven before the religious (Mt. 31:21). What makes Malachy's predictions interesting is his track record.

  http://www.bibleprobe.com/last10popes.htm

• [quote]!You come off sounding like a "In Europe we do it right, in America you do it wrong" type. Then you are illiterate, Sweetpea. I was talking about the PERCEPTION of the American church in Catholic circles and why the pope won't be American. [quote] However you not knowing about how the press in the US covered up what was happening in the US told me that you are not from here and are getting misinformation in another country. Huh? I knew that. You seem to think that this is unique to the USA. The press in Canada, Belgium, Ireland, etc, also covered up claims and allegations of abuse in their countries. The fact that YOU don't know THAT only reinforces my point that Americans are perceived as not seeing something as being noteworthy unless it happens to Americans, hence the reason why other countries will not vote for an American cardinal.

• Some serious nutjobs around here. Prophecies and what not.

• I like him because of Summorum Pontificum.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summorum_Pontificum

• Discussing him on NPR this evening, they said he never learned to drive. OTOH, he has a pilots license for helicopters.

• Which of these brilliant prophets accurately predicted the sex scandals that would engulf the Church in the late 20th and early 21st centuries? I thought not.

• Did he have reservations for Jasmine Guy's house so he could formally break up with the Church?

  Enquiring%20Minds%20Want%20to%20Know

• r282, the Church is a disgrace to the Church. Festering viper pit of Machiavellian ambition and Innocent destroying evil within a rotting artifice. I hope they're all blown up in the Conclave.

• I saw the clip of Cardinal Dolan -all flustered and upset at not being in the know.

• Is anyone seeing much discussion on the evening news shows. Is anyone talking about this in the main stream media outlets?

• Yes, it's been on the mainstream media all day today.

• Lightening strikes St Peters hours after resigntion

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276884/Pope-Benedict-XVI-resigns-First-Pontiff-600-years-stand-longer-strength-carry-on.html%23axzz2KdyxOZAc

• R298 did not go looking for the answer.

• [quote]it’s an abdication, not a resignation: It’s a surprise, obviously. This hasn’t happened since 1296, which is 717 years ago . . . The pope then was Pope Celestine V. He was 85 years old, too, so there’s an interesting historical symmetry here. No and no. It IS a resignation not an abdication. And the last pope to resign was Gregory XII in 1415. It ended the Western Schism, a time when there were actually three popes, Gregory and two anti-popes.

• Hey Benny, I cordially invite you to the Haus of Gaga. We love your style! Gaga

• A black pope means the end of the Catholic church in America.

• If only Cardinal Timothy Howard hadn't killed himself!

  Lana%20Banana

• Check your racism r308.

• Who cares? It's all just a bunch of creepy child-fuckers who spread hateful fairy tales and hoard money. Adios, Head Child-Fucker!

• [quote]No and no. It IS a resignation not an abdication. Why is it not an abdication?

• r310, how is it racist to point out that a lot of Americans disrespect black people in authority? I'm a cynical cunt, and even I was shocked at the treatment President Obama has received.

• R308 may have been saying that America is racist. A black pope would not necessarily be a good thing, he could be as right wing, or more right wing than the last one. And liberals would hold their tongue. And he could be as anti-gay as he wanted to with no criticism. Not a good thing!

• The Pope decided he wanted to get out of his priestly alb and spend more time in his caftan.

  La Vie en Caftan

• Sorry r313 I didn't realize you were being ironic.

• Um, no R314, despite your delusion that blacks get away with everything.

• No, R317 - I did not say that anywhere, you don't get it. The possible choices for a black pope are right wing, put in by rightwing popes. If there was someone like Desmond Tutu it would be fantastic.

  R314

• Are you a dunce, R317?

• So does this mean we get our Apocalypse after all?

  Nosferatu

• The Malachy prophecies are a fake - there is a clear demarcation in the "prophecies" for popes prior to the date of the documentation's popularization and those for future popes, and the provenance is obviously falsified.

• Thanks r304, awesome photo.

  http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/11/article-2276884-17841A9A000005DC-22_634x815.jpg

• Strange timing, considering that an Asteroid is headed near earth. There are many signs out there!

• That's an amazing photo of the lightening. You can climb up inside the dome to the cupola on top. Two friends went up while I stayed on the roof. I thought about how old that dome is and wondered when it had its last safety inspection. When my friends called down from the cupola, it's such a long distance to the roof that they were just specks up there - the same with looking at people down at ground level.

• R112 is absolutely full of batshit. 1% fact and 99% conjecture. Google Fatima prophecies and you will see for yourself.

• Lightning strikes somewhere on earth 8 million times every 24 hours. If it only struck the Vatican, then you might have something.

• I like the Happy Popes.

  Simon

• I wonder what Mother Angelica has to say about this matter!

• Good...I can feel your anger! I am defenseless. Take your weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey toward the dark side will be complete!

  http://thewordwarrior.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/pope-benedict-palpatine.jpg

  Pope%20Benny%20addresses%20the%20Papal%20candidates%20

• I thought Ian McDiarmid did a good job delivering those lines, R329. he didn't do so well in the second trilogy though.

• There was a terrific adventure/mystery novel called "The Third Secret," and the third secret was that the Church should bless gay weddings, which is why the Vatican wanted it to stay a secret. It's by Steve Berry.

• So, -sometime last week the Pope decides he's going to resign -over the weekend Italian media report the Pope may resign -Monday at noon (6am in NYC) the Pope publicly announces he will resign -within a half hour #Pontifexit is Twitter-trending -seven to eight hours later lightning strikes A FUCKING LIGHTNING ROD mounted on the St. Peter's dome for the purpose of preventing damage from lightning strikes. Someone's not checking His Facebook newsfeed too often.

  Why%20does%20a%20church%20need%20lightning%20rods%3F

• "Arpad Miklos: DEAD! Man Karim: DEAD! What is the point?" "I'm tired. TIRED!"

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dlaq2rNiWDYQ

  PBenny

• Poping is exhausting work!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DurkrK2TSnIE

• BABYFUCKER!!!!!!!

• R300 is such a poster girl for ethics and moral behavior, isn't she?

• The papacy needs to move to Khartoum

• Apparently now there's some controversy over the fact that recently deposed Cardinal Mahony is going to be casting a ballot in the selection of the new Pope.

• Pope Pope Pope We want a new Pope Pope Pope So give us a Pope Pope Pope La la la la Pope Pope Pope (repeat 6x)

• Do you pope out at parties? Are you un-pope-ular?

  Well%2C%20are%20you%3F

• Pope Pope Pope We want a new Pope Pope Pope So give us a Pope Pope Pope La la la la Pope Pope Pope (repeat 6x)

• [quote]Apparently now there's some controversy over the fact that recently deposed Cardinal Mahony is going to be casting a ballot in the selection of the new Pope. And anyone who believes this doesn't understand the word 'deposed'.

• Wake up bitches! What's the latest with Pope's Been-a-dick?

• The real reason for his resignation? He's going to be on "The Voice."

• He IS the voice of his generation.

  Lena%20Dunham

• It's nice that he gave two weeks notice that he's quitting instead of just walking out.

• Sneaky

• I didn't realize that his employment was classified as Clerical/Technical. I thought a month's notice was more appropriate for one working on a Managerial level.

• I think they should choose the new Pope by way of a reality series

• I really hope that there is a black pope next. It would drive my racist catholic relatives insane.

• Central and South America would go ballistic if there was an African pope before they got one.

• wrong to wear white to the interview?

• Well R350 if "the black guy" (cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana) is the next pope, it won't be just the racist devout who get a bee in their bonnet.

  3 aspects of Malachy's prophecy