Pope given last rites

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Christoph Schönborn
Country: Austria
Age: 60
Assets: Intellectual heavyweight. European Christianity could use some excitement.
Liabilities: Europe had its chance.

This cardinal is also a count! A respected theologian, Schönborn was chosen by Pope John Paul II to serve as the general editor of the revised Catholic catechism. David Gibson calls Schönborn "a cultured Austrian who is conservative but, true to his Mittleeuropean roots, can be a bridge between East and West. Maybe a little too close to a Slavic pope, and maybe a little too young still."

His big problem is his age.

Yeah, I want my big problem at age 60 to be that I'm too young.

[Dinner]

A black Pope would be interesting from a historical perspective and it would likely help increase the number of faithful in Africa. Racism still exists in the world though so I'd expect it to increase the rate people are leaving the church in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. An Asia Pope is an idea who's time may have come.

Not that I expect a conservative bunch of old men like the College of Cardinals to do such an open minded thing. Instead I expect either an European or Latin American Pope as an American or ethnic minority Pope would fly in the face of their political sensabilities.

[Ted Striker]

I like the idea of a black Pope but didn't like the one in the list above.

[TCO]

how the fark do you guys know who is in the list and how good they are? Do you guys read the sports page about it? Follow the minor league prospects out in the parishes?

[Ted Striker]

I've been playing Yahoo Fantasy Papal League since 2000.

So there.

[Dinner]

I didn't recommend anyone or even know the names of anyone much less their policies. Instead I simply looked a geographic areas and ethnicities then spoke about the plus and minus each choice would have in the broadest terms. This is the same thing that happens in US Presidential races where one party decides they need a southerner or an evangelical, etc...

[TCO]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I didn't recommend anyone or even know the names of anyone much less their policies. Instead I simply looked a geographic areas and ethnicities then spoke about the plus and minus each choice would have in the broadest terms. This is the same thing that happens in US Presidential races where one party decides they need a southerner or an evangelical, etc...

Oh...don't try to act all superscientific.

[Alexander's Horse]

The next Pope has a lot of work to do - an estimated 100,000 priests left the priesthood during JPII tenure, probably half a million other clergy (monks, brothers and sisters), church attendances have plummeted, extreme conservative movements like Opus Dei have flourished. This Pope tried to buttress clericalism but the clergy is dying, literally.

Most of the trouble revolve around the churches teaching on sexuality, birth control and the obsession of conservative clergy with regulating the sexual activity of the flock. This was a subject on which Jesus himself was almost completely silent so one wonders what it has to do with theology.

[alva]

Funny how he is so revered while he probably lost more "souls" than all popes before him combined.
Of course on a day like this, suddenly everyone's a catholic/christian again.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
The next Pope has a lot of work to do - an estimated 100,000 priests left the priesthood during JPII tenure, probably half a million other clergy (monks, brothers and sisters), church attendances have plummeted, extreme conservative movements like Opus Dei have flourished. This Pope tried to buttress clericalism but the clergy is dying, literally.

Most of the trouble revolve around the churches teaching on sexuality, birth control and the obsession of conservative clergy with regulating the sexual activity of the flock. This was a subject on which Jesus himself was almost completely silent so one wonders what it has to do with theology.

I really don't think they are obsessed with it. I think they are just firm and traditional and not changing. But not obsessed.

[Alexander's Horse]

He's a bit like a man whose very popular in the community but his house is falling down.

What catholics really want is a Pope whose going to take care of business at home.

[alva]

Godfried Danneels
Country: Belgium
Age: 72
Assets: Witty.
Liabilities: Too liberal.

On the off chance that the cardinals want to go with a liberal, Danneels may be the man. "When the bishops and cardinals gather, Danneels is often the center of attention, appreciated for his wit and intellect," says Greg Tobin, author of Selecting the Pope. Weaknesses: As a liberal from Belgium, he might be viewed as the Michael Dukakis of the papal race.

Bear in mind, the cardinals traditionally abjure front-runners even more than Democratic Party primary voters do, so there's a good chance it won't be any of the above. An old Italian saying goes, "He who enters the conclave a pope comes out a Cardinal."

He would be a good choice, I can even appreciate him, but I don't really want to see a revival here.
I'm already at the point of throwing the tele out the window. * sigh *

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by TCO


I really don't think they are obsessed with it. I think they are just firm and traditional and not changing. But not obsessed.

Actually they dress it up as tradition but the most contentious teachings are quite modern, the papal ban on birth control was declared in 1968 - a reaction to the sexual revolution.

The church didn't have a lot to say about sex until this century.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse


Actually they dress it up as tradition but the most contentious teachings are quite modern, the papal ban on birth control was declared in 1968 - a reaction to the sexual revolution.

The church didn't have a lot to say about sex until this century.

I didn't know that about contraception. Certainly, they've always been against philandering, no?

[TCO]

But I've NEVER heard a mass about contraception. I don't think that having an unpopular position is the same as obsessing. Obsessing means pro-actively speaking out on it. Now on anti-abortion, I agree they are proactive. But that is the kind of question, where once you assume that a life is a life, you have a hard time not getting a little John Brownish.