Pope to resign Feb. 28, says he's too infirm

[Johnny Vinyl]

The problem is that some of them have been touching the flock too much.

It'll be interesting to see how this new Pope addresses this.

 

[mep]

We had a candidate from the U.S. that was a darling of the Italians and would have taken the problem seriously as he has proven by his past actions in Boston. Who knows what this guy will do.

 

[Elberoth]

They should have chosen him back in 2005. He lost to Ratzinger in the last conclave, and was only 69 back then ...

 

[mep]

Cardinals seem to like old cardinals that are elected pope. That way if they make a mistake, the pope they elected won't be around long before the cardinals get a "re-do."

 

[Steve williams]

They should have chosen him back in 2005. He lost to Ratzinger in the last conclave, and was only 69 back then ...

Apparently he was runner up to Pope Benedict

 

[mep]

"Bergoglio has slowed a bit with age and is feeling the effects of having a lung removed due to infection when he was a teenager."

Here we go...

 

[Elberoth]

There was one promissing cardinal that is 55 ... most considered him 'too young' though.

 

[mep]

I'm convinced that the other cardinals don't want a young pope. In case they make a mistake, the guy they chose will kick off sooner rather than later and then they get a "redo."

 

[Mike]

I think that they really should have gone with my suggestion: 2 Popes - sort of a good Pope/bad Pope combination.

 

[jadis]

Pope Francis is also the first Jesuit to be named Pope. I think the first from a religious order as well, but I may be mistaken.

 

[docvale]

We had a candidate from the U.S. that was a darling of the Italians and would have taken the problem seriously as he has proven by his past actions in Boston. Who knows what this guy will do.

I don't really get this post...
What do you mean with "we"? The Americans or the Catholics? AFAIK there's no territorial candidatures...

Then, despite Archibishop Dolan and Archibishop Scola were considered the most probable candidates, this does not mean that a man who has been less spoken about would not take the problem serious

 

[JackD201]

There was one promissing cardinal that is 55 ... most considered him 'too young' though.

That would be our Cardinal Tagle. Extremely charismatic and dynamic......"too young". They probably look at him as a whippersnapper.

 

[mep]

I don't really get this post...
What do you mean with "we"? The Americans or the Catholics? AFAIK there's no territorial candidatures...

Then, despite Archibishop Dolan and Archibishop Scola were considered the most probable candidates, this does not mean that a man who has been less spoken about would not take the problem serious

"We" meant American Catholics-nothing more and nothing less. So there is no reason to be confused here. I have seen nothing from the new pope's background to show he has experience with taking on the pedophile culture that unfortunately exists in the Catholic church. Like you said, it doesn't mean he won't take the problem seriously. Time will tell.

 

[edorr]

"We" meant American Catholics-nothing more and nothing less. So there is no reason to be confused here. I have seen nothing from the new pope's background to show he has experience with taking on the pedophile culture that unfortunately exists in the Catholic church. Like you said, it doesn't mean he won't take the problem seriously. Time will tell.

Leadership of an organization whose official doctrine (i.e. ban contraceptives) is ignored and rejected by 98% of its members is so out of touch with reality, and it governance is so dysfunctional, it cannot be expected to solve any real problems, even if it takes a problem itself "seriously". Whatever 70+ year old they select to run the organization makes no difference - they first have to come to the realization the middle ages are over, and it aint happening.

 

[mep]

Leadership of an organization whose official doctrine (i.e. ban contraceptives) is ignored and rejected by 98% of its members is so out of touch with reality, and it governance is so dysfunctional, it cannot be expected to solve any real problems, even if it takes a problem itself "seriously". Whatever 70+ year old they select to run the organization makes no difference - they first have to come to the realization the middle ages are over, and it aint happening.

Pretty succinct description of the situation and I agree. When the Pope's butler feels the need to steal documents and release them in order to shine a light on shenanigans happening at the top of the church, you know there are some serious issues that need to be addressed. Anyone see the episode of South Park that poked *fun* at the Catholic church? It was pretty hilarious.

 

[edorr]

Pretty succinct description of the situation and I agree. When the Pope's butler feels the need to steal documents and release them in order to shine a light on shenanigans happening at the top of the church, you know there are some serious issues that need to be addressed. Anyone see the episode of South Park that poked *fun* at the Catholic church? It was pretty hilarious.

No disrespect to the many fine Catholics, including many of my friends (not to mention my Catholic wife), but the only Catholics taking the "leadership" in the Vatican city seriously are types like Rick Santorum.....

 

[docvale]

Leadership of an organization whose official doctrine (i.e. ban contraceptives) is ignored and rejected by 98% of its members is so out of touch with reality

Well, apparently all the values of Catholic Christianity have suddenly been reduced to sexuality...

it governance is so dysfunctional, it cannot be expected to solve any real problems, even if it takes a problem itself "seriously"

Dude, it's like saying that any government won't try to fight tax evasion. There's consistent problems, and because they're consistent, they're hard to fight and eradicate. What is important, from the Vatican, is to re-obtain a decent reputation under that point of view. The rest will be an issue of the local managements of the Church.
A mass told by a local priest sounds truly different from the one said by a cardinal of the Pope: they don't speak about doctrine that much, but mostly about social matters. And even sexuality is treated differently. At least in Italy, where Catholics are not a minority such as in the US.