The Pope Resigns
 

Apparently due to his age being a factor in carrying out the heavy schedule and burdens of the job, the Pope is resigning at the end of the month. This is not the first resignation of a Pope, but the last one was almost 600 years ago. The guy is 85 years old after all, and I certainly hope that I have the energy he had when he accepted the job at 78 year of age.

He came into the job just as the scandals regarding child molestation were breaking. His legacy will be forever attached to that. Some will also take issue with his propagation of a conservative stance on the role of women in the church, and on homosexuality.

So, what does this mean for the future of the Catholic church?

That and his time in die Hitlerjugen.

As for the future of the church?
I think it's becoming irrelevent.
And, I really don't care if it does.

Regards,
Dave

In fairness for some groups joining the Hilter Youth was mandatory.

Are we going to see the first Hispanic Pope?

Pete

Or maybe even the first black Pope:

http://www.vatican.va/news_services/...on_pka_en.html

I think it's probably because he wants to marry his young boyfriend now that the kid is 18.:eek:

There are a lot of reasons to dislike Ratzinger but the Hitler Youth business isn't one of them. Membership was compulsory after 1936. In 1936 Ratzinger was 8 years old.

John

Yes, Yes, I know that. It was just an opportunity to take a jab at a pointy hat.

So, sue me.

Regards,
Dave

"As for the future of the church?
I think it's becoming irrelevent.
And, I really don't care if it does."

This part was more serious.

Regards,
Dave

That's probably closer to the mark.

Regards,
Dave

OK. Lawsuit in process.... jury retiring... jury announcing verdict...

Guilty! Your punishment, you must give the first person you read with the word 'piece' in his name your stereo :D

Pete

...and you're an ignorant tarted up alterboy.:p

Nah, just an erstwhile Catholic and alter boy.

What were you before they altered you? :D

John

Anyone see a double standard here? BS can spout all sorts of hate-filled gibberish about our president but let someone say anything at all negative about a "man of God"..... well, that's going too far!

By the way, BS, do you know what Ratzinger's job was before he became pope? He was the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, otherwise known as the Inquisition. It was his job to investigate any allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests. Here's how he did his job:

"As Cardinal Ratzinger was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the sexual abuse of minors by priests was his responsibility to investigate from 2001, when that charge was given to the CDF by Pope John Paul II.[5] Before given this charge, Cardinal Ratzinger was theoretically privy to all sexual abuse cases within the Church. As Prefect of the CDF, Canon Law directed Bishops to report sexual abuse cases involving priests in their diocese to Cardinal Ratzinger. However, due to the obscurity of Canon Law, even within the Church, it is unknown whether this directive was actually followed.

"As part of the implementation of the norms enacted and promulgated on April 30, 2001 by Pope John Paul II,[6] on May 18, 2001 Ratzinger sent a letter to every bishop in the Catholic Church.[7][8] This letter reminded them of the strict penalties facing those who revealed confidential details concerning enquiries into allegations against priests of certain grave ecclesiastical crimes, including sexual abuse, which were reserved to the jurisdiction of the Congregation."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_..._abuse_scandal

In other words, "Keep your mouths shut if you know what's good for you."

John

Oops. My bad. Perhaps it came from debating with my alter ego, sir Baconshorts.:cool::eek:

Is that like Andy Kaufman and Tony Clifton?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7JcKKej0DI

John

As a one raised French Catholic, whatever that means now a days. Then seeing the church to have change from a Liberal leaning organization of my youth into the present day Conservative trending ideals. Lapsed for those and other reasons years ago.

I see hope, that by getting someone younger to lead the Church. Will reverse some of the unrealistic doctrine imposed onto the Clergy and it's members.



Barney

I'd like to see an African or East Asian pope, a pope used to understanding that the Catholic Church isn't always the "big kid on the block" and that the Church's value is in the lives it improves through its ministry, not in the arbitrary doctrinal and sometimes cruel rules it imposes on the faithful.

John

[QUOTE=baconshorts;147182]I can understand how you can equate a dictator wannabe to the spiritual leader of 1.1 billion Catholics in the world. Your comparison further adds to my suspicion that said “tyrant in training” is slowly but surely reaching the status of “cult of personality”. However, beyond the Kool-Aid drinkers he is just another citizen, albeit one that was raised in foreign lands by a foreign father. It shows your almost “godlike” worship of a common lying politician.

QUOTE]

You are kidding, right?

"Spiritual leader" of 1.1 billion Catholics (and falling) by virtue of a puff of white smoke.

You're a paranoid moron who has just re-demonstrated the double standard I spoke of in an earlier post.

John

Of course he isn't kidding. He's a bona fide Texas hater with an IQ equivalent to the number of stars on the Republic of Texas flag.

He's a pointless waste of water.

John

Every time I consider cutting Bacon Bits some slack due to his IQ, I realize his moniker (BS) is irony in its highest form.

[QUOTE=bobabode;147187]He did spend considerable time in Indonesia being raised by an Idonesian step-father.

But I, unlike BS, consider experience living abroad as a plus. One of the reasons why I voted for him---twice.

Regards,
Dave

Oh, I was figuring that BS thought that his mother and grandparents didn't have anything to do with his upbringing. I'm sure he'll be along directly to rant about Obama's diet in Indonesia.

The Catholic Church has been quietly allowing married guys to become Priests for a while now.

Btw, back when the scandal broke the inner ring suburb I was living in ran a story of a case in the 60s, one Priest teaching an elementary school class was having girls sit on his lap and fondling them - during class.

The parents basically ended up storming the church with figurative pitchforks. He was 'reassigned'.

ROTFLMAO!!! I was an alter boy too but apparently lucky to be at a Lutheran church :)

Pete

It was so much easier being Southern Baptists, because they will always forgive you know matter how much beer you drink lol. I was always jealous because Catholics only had to go to Church once a week. I had to go morning and night and sometimes Wednesdays....

By the way Baconshorts quit bad mouthing the President and your country. None of our Presidents, Republican or Democrat, has ever been or aspired to be a dictator. You know better.

Interesting! Could you point me in the direction of a source for that?

John

Sure!

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_1...ests-to-marry/

Pete

:DC'mon, you all. Benedict is retiring to a convent. I really don't know what to make of that!:rolleyes:

Really, please fill me in on all the juicy details about his "actions".

Getting back to the Pope the developing story is he has his fingerprints all over the L.A. Diocese priest sex scandal cover up. He reportedly handled private settlements with victims and parents and actually signed them himself. We shall see if there is any validity to these accusations.

His resignation because he can't effectively handle his position in the church is BS. He could be on his death bed and still be Pope. The last Pope to resign Gregory XII, 498 years ago, because of a massive schism in the Catholic church. There were at least three factions of the church that had their own Pope. Gregory resigned to save the church. In other words he fell on his sword.

Pope's today are elderly because a young Pope could build a coalition and move the church in another direction somewhat like it did 498 years ago. I predict a Pope will be chosen from Central or South America. I also predict there will never be an American Pope.

I also will say I have absolutely no respect for the Catholic church. Throughout history they have perpetuated some of the most atrocious acts of barbarism and societal manipulation in modern and ancient history.

I was actually a member of the Catholic church for a short time until my Irish Catholic wife wised-up and quit the church. Can you imagine the agony I went through? I was educated in a Quaker school and my family were Lutherans and Methodist.

It is true what they say about Irish Catholic women. They can be pistols. As many of you know here she is an attorney. About ten years ago I heard her on the phone threatening to go to another lawyers office and beat the sh!t out of him. She was really pissed that day. An acceptable settlement offer came in the next day. Can you imagine what I went through. :D

[QUOTE=baconshorts;147273]The man was born in Hawaii of a native born American mother or are you disputing that?

You and I are also citizens by birthright. The fact that he has one non-citizen as a parent changes nothing. He is not a foreigner.

Also, you said that he was raised by a foreign father in a foreign country. While it's true that he spent a few years of his life in Indonesia, with his mother and her second husband, his actual father had no part in his upbringing. In fact, the person most responsible for raising him was his American grandmother.

And the "Choom Gang". that notorious Hawaiian drug cartel? Give me a fucking break.

John

[QUOTE=baconshorts;147289]Why then do you call him a foreigner?

Baconshorts you are an embarrassment to Texas.

[QUOTE=baconshorts;147293]Do you have a problem that inhibits you from answering a simple and direct question?

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

BS, have you read this?

It isn't like I'm asking if you still beat your wife, BS.:D
The Prez lived in Indonesia from age 6 to 10.The rest of his life he has lived in the U.S.
Hell, I lived overseas for two years, from ages 9 to 11. Does that make me a foreigner?

I never mentioned the Pope...but your birtherism is repugnant.

I must've missed that one. Even Boreas noted that enrollment in the Hitler Jugen was mandatory, Ratzinger didn't have a choice in that matter.

Now, it is a well known fact that the Catholic church in Germany post war helped well known Nazi officials escape justice by providing false/questionable documents under the displaced persons initiative during that era. That's a pretty black mark in anyone's lexicon.

Not really.

Regards,
Dave