Oh Jose. I don't even know where to begin. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Why are all the Popes old men?They need younger strong men or women to be popes with energy that can last a while and get stuff done.</p>— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoseCanseco/status/301015832740384769">February 11, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
You're often our point man on anti-Islam in this forum. Obviously radical Islam is one hell of a problem in the world, compounded by, say, rampant under- and unemployment and ignorance in predominantly Muslim countries. Makes it easier to foment hatred of the West and recruit terrorists. I feel bad for the majority of Muslims who get a bad name from the minority. And yet, even on our side, people believe what they want to believe. My wife's on the website for Globo, the big Brazilian national network, and it's 150% kissing the Pope's derriere. Granted, they don't want to enrage the Church; they know who butters their bread, and they know who provides the bread itself. The Church is an easy target these days. It's their own fault. That Vatican Bank business of the 80's involving the Swiss banker found hanged under a Roman bridge (told in somewhat fiction form in "Godfather III") didn't help matters. Far worse, the Church has systematically engaged in coverups and lies regarding pedophile priests, not just recently, but for centuries. The recent HBO special (just last week it first aired) pointed this out. And Ratzenberger has been Chief Sweep-Under-the-Rug. I think Catholicism is a glittering anachronism with beautiful testimonies to its often sordid and sometimes glorious past. And I don't know if they can right the ship because any change in course heading now (women are more than baby machines; maybe we shouldn't encourage people, especially the poor, to have children they can't properly feed or educate; maybe it makes no sense for our hierarchy to exclude women, nor to forbid marriage for priests; we look greedy and coarse, more like a bank than a church) would be their own form of confession: "Forgive me, laypeople, but we have sinned. It has been, uh, well, a long-ass time since our last confession. Ahem. We were wrong. Modern times call for a modern interpretation. But we can fix this. First, wear a rubber. Second..." And I just don't see a Pope having the guts to do this. They elected an arch-conservative in Ratzinger. Which direction now? (I hope they elect an African Pope. Time to recognize that Catholicism exists outside of Europe.) EDIT: Actually, they had a far more recent banking scandal in the Vatican than the one I mentioned. Damn, I need to keep up with current events. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/pope-benedict-profile_n_2661590.html Benedict's call, however, would strike some as hypocritical when a year later the Holy See's top two banking officials were placed under investigation in a money laundering probe that resulted in the seizure of millions of euros from a Vatican Bank account. The money was later released after Benedict, the Vatican's top legislator, amended the city state's legal code to comply with international norms to fight money laundering and terror financing. The Vatican's finances though also came under scrutiny when Benedict's own butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested in May 2012 and charged with stealing the pope's personal correspondence and leaking the documents to a journalist. Gabriele told Vatican investigators he did so because he thought the pope wasn't being informed of the "evil and corruption" in the Vatican and thought that exposing it publicly would put the church back on the right track. Gabriele was eventually sentenced to 18 months in prison, though Benedict later pardoned him.
I'm not well versed on the history and politics of Christianity. Is there a strong argument that this Pope simply disregarded centuries of no one leaving the Vatican in favor of his health? In other words, although important, tradition was not his utmost priority?
I'm not sure either. Maybe he still had the images of John Paul II in mind whose public suffering from Parkinson's he witnessed from up close. When we talk about something not done in 600 years, we should remember that only in the last few decades, because of TV and Internet, people actually got to see public figures like the pope all the time (nowadays in HD), even if they are already visibly ill. There weren't that many popes in the media age. Personal dignity and HD don't go hand in hand that well if you are old and/or suffer from severe health issues and/or dementia.
He's probably got dementia or Alzheimer's, something like that. In the old days before mass media, the council could cover for a pope and maybe just prop him up on the balcony at Easter. That won't do anymore.
It's obvious the Catholic church has huge problems when their own 'chosen by god' leader quits. This is a big win for radical Islam.
This guy was selected to be an older, short term Pope to transition from the last one that was so popular. "Job for Life" type positions are a hold over from the past. In previous times, a "job for life" meant someone might make it to 40-60 years old if they were lucky. Now with advancement in modern medicine, we can keep people alive well into their 90s, but with limited capacity to continue to do the job. I actually think its pretty courageous of this guy to recognize his weakness and inability to do the job and step aside. He may also recognize that the Catholic Church needs a younger and more dynamic leader.
"Um, okay, that was a big announcement. Let's have a nice round of applause for Pope Benedict... Thank you, thank you. Yes, that's okay... Now, next on the agenda, Benedict asked me to look into the retirement and benefits package of the Holy See. Um, I assigned this to Cardinal Amati, and ... you ready? ... okay, he'll give an update on that now." "Thank you. Yes, I have been through all the files, and it's a little tough. I think we have to ammend the existing policy." "What? Why? We have to vote to change it." "Well, here's what I found. Dental coverage: zero. Health coverage: zero. Pension: five thousand gold pieces and the Holy Scepter. (cough.) You know, keep in mind this is from the fifteenth century." "He gets the scepter? Okay, do I have a motion to amend the Papal Bylaws concerning retirement benefits for the Pope?"
Yeah, that does raise a good point. What the hell is Ratinzger supposed to do know? Not many companies are looking to hire an 85 year old theology major in this economy. He can't be a priest or bishop, because that's just weird. And there is no retirement fund. Will he be a speaker or something? Just traveling to colleges and talking?
here is the true story and history behind the Pope, his funny looking hat and Easter <div style="background-color:#000000;width:368px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><iframe src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/embed/mgid:arc:video:southparkstudios.com:f26d49c2-ed00-11e0-aca6-0026b9414f30" width="360" height="293" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div>
He will probably spend the rest of his days in a monastery. Do you really think he needs a job? Me too.
Reports say he'll retire to a seminary within the Vatican; devote the remainder of his life to prayer. For someone who's health had been deteriorating, it makes sense.
Another interesting question, will he be buried in the Vatican since he is no longer a pope at time of death?
Yeah, and I don't see him in a series of commercials: "Hello. They used to call me Papa (not to be confused with Ernest Hemingway). Now they just call me John, IF they have a civil tongue in their head. Those who don't call me a disgrace. "I'm here to tell you that touching boys is, well, kind of icky." (sharp voice from off-camera elicits impatient reaction) All right, it's a crime! Just not at my old job! There! You happy? "So don't do it. Because you can go to jail. Yes, jail. I'm serious. Imagine, going to jail for something like that. What, do I look like I'm joking? Yes. The slammer. The pokey. "Why do you Americans call it the 'pokey'? Because of what they do to pedophiles in jail. "Now, if you want a get-out-of-jail free card, call 1-800-NOPOKEY and I will send you this free brochure..."
