I am sure the new pope is a good man, otherwise they would not have picked him, but a VERY interesting fact about him is that as a child he was a member of Hitler Youth in Germany.
Thanks. That is what I was wondering. I hope his first order of business is to get rid of the rule that doesn't allow anyone to re-marry in the catholic church!
He's conservative, so he won't be doing that. And you'll probably have to brush up on your Latin if he gets his way.
Damn, no "¡HOLA, KATY TEXAS, U.S.A.!" sign YET... EDIT: I can't help thinking that his maximus pointiff reminds me of Herr Emperrorr Palpatine a'la Germany... "You want this...?" [looks at Luke's Light Saber]
Der neue Papst kommt aus Bayern! Bavaria is kind of like the Texas of Germany (except with better beer). I like it, even though I'm not Catholic.
VATICAN CITY (AP) -Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, the church's leading hard-liner, was elected the new pope Tuesday evening in the first conclave of the new millennium. He chose the name Pope Benedict XVI and called himself "a simple, humble worker." What's the deal with the name change? Pope Joseph wouldn't cut it?
I was kind of hoping that the Pope would be from Latin America or Africa, because those regions would, IMO, benefit tremendously both economically and politically with a Pope from their area. But I think this is probably the right man at the right time. Ratzinger won't be Pope for all that long most likely (10 years at the most, I'd say), and he is a strong link to the previous Pope, John Paul II. I was also hoping for a more liberal Pope, but I think that a more conservative theologian is probably what the church and the world need right now anyways. I think this is a transition Pope who won't make a huge change theologically from John Paul II, and in five years or so when the next Pope is chosen, the Cardinals will elect someone more groundbreaking. Overall, I'm happy with Pope Benedict XVI and I hope his papacy is good for the Church.
Although I agree with you in a sense, the Pope plays a relatively significant role in the world -- for better or worse. I'm not Catholic, so it's not as important to me as it might be to people who are. But I do have an interest in this from the standpoint of the kind of impact he will have on the world in general -- not just the Catholic church.
It's also important to note that the Pope is a leader to over one billion people. Even if you aren't Catholic, you must in some way associate with people who are, and they will be affected by the Pope which will in turn have an effect on you in some way. Also, the Pope's importance politically cannot be discounted. Even if you discount his direct influence, he has a tremendous indirect influence by inspiring/leading Caholics around the world who participate in the political lives of their countries.
I'm surprised that they chose such a conservative man to be Pope. Personally, I do not think that he is the right choice. However, I am not a Catholic. If the Catholic community is happy with this choice, then that is all that matters. I would have love to see Francis Arinze emerge as the Pope. I really think that would have sent a strong progressive message, which is what the Catholic Church realy needs.
