WTF? Pope about to resign?!

[Ben Kenobi]

Though they once had three.

Who is "they"? There has only ever been one.

[Ben Kenobi]

Will he still be known as Benedict or will he now be Ratzinger again?

He'll be Cardinal-Emeritus Ratzinger once more, just as any other retired cardinal. He'll still be part of the college and he'll get his red hat back.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Who is "they"? There has only ever been one.

Apparently you're not too much into the Catholic Church's history, or at least the inconvenient parts. Yep, there were once three. The whole "anti-Pope" bit was sorted out after the fact, by the winners. And to think, all that schismatic stuff had nothing to do with doctrine or things of a heavenly nature, but temporal power and who had it.

If it's any consolation, though, you can blame the French. The Romans did.

[Ben Kenobi]

Ben's right on this one

I should frame this.

I did not know you were Catholic, Snoopy.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Apparently you're not too much into the Catholic Church's history, or at least the inconvenient parts. Yep, there were once three. The whole "anti-Pope" bit was sorted out after the fact, by the winners. And to think, all that schismatic stuff had nothing to do with doctrine or things of a heavenly nature, but temporal power and who had it.

If it's any consolation, though, you can blame the French. The Romans did.

You've hit the nail on the head - those other Popes (Avignon and Pisa) were "anti-Popes" after the fact .

[MrFun]

The pope is apparently about to resign his office, something that hasn't happened for centuries. Not very often there's a genuinely 'WTF?!' news story, but this is one of them. Place your bets now on what the hell this is about..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21409149

I suspect that the cardinals forced this pope to resign, because he's not narrow minded and bigoted enough.

[Ben Kenobi]

Apparently you're not too much into the Catholic Church's history, or at least the inconvenient parts. Yep, there were once three. The whole "anti-Pope" bit was sorted out after the fact, by the winners. And to think, all that schismatic stuff had nothing to do with doctrine or things of a heavenly nature, but temporal power and who had it.

Pope Urban VI was validly elected and consecrated. You don't get do-overs. His successor and his successor's successor were also validly elected and consecrated. What's the problem here, MtG? Just because Cardinal Joe Blow declares himself to be Pope, doesn't make him so.

[MrFun]

The Church needs a dynamic leader in this day and age and Benedict recognizes this fact.

Why the **** do only "dinosaurs" become popes then? If they need a true dynamic leader, find someone young - like someone in their early sixties.

[MichaeltheGreat]

I should frame this.

Hang it on the wall next to your broken clock.

[Hauldren Collider]

I suspect that the cardinals forced this pope to resign, because he's not narrow minded and bigoted enough.

Oh my god. You're so ****ing retarded.

I would like you to explain how a group of very conservative people would force their equally conservative absolute monarch to do something that hasn't been done in many centuries.

[Ben Kenobi]

You've hit the nail on the head - those other Popes (Avignon and Pisa) were "anti-Popes" after the fact

Not so. Urban VI was validly elected and consecrated. Ergo, Urban VI was Pope until he died, and his successor was subsequently elected.

If this were after the fact, then why did Catherine of Siena confirm that he was?

[Ben Kenobi]

Hang it on the wall next to your broken clock

Then I've got one more to make quota today!

[MichaeltheGreat]

Pope Urban VI was validly elected and consecrated. You don't get do-overs. His successor and his successor's successor were also validly elected and consecrated. What's the problem here, MtG? Just because Cardinal Joe Blow declares himself to be Pope, doesn't make him so.

You're too ****ing stupid to waste time on, troll.

How about when the same college of cardinals elects two popes? Then an official council trying to resolve the FUBAR created partly by their predecessors and has to elect a "third" one to give legitimacy to certain acts? That they were later declared anti-popes and one excommunicated after the fact does not obviate the reality that you had major elements of the church aligned with two separate lines of popes who were successors to duly elected popes, then two "placeholder" popes elected by a council to try to resolve the schism.

Run along now little troll, we're done here.

Edit - if you don't get "do overs" why'd it take them 40 years and a dozen or so popes to figure that out? And not one instance of a cardinal unilaterally declaring himself pope.

BTW, a little curry sauce will make those goats taste much better.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Then I've got one more to make quota today!

You have a special clock. It's 24 hour, with a day and month display, so you only get to be accidentally right once a year. See you next year.

[Dauphin]

Why the **** do only "dinosaurs" become popes then? If they need a true dynamic leader, find someone young - like someone in their early sixties.

There is only one cardinal younger than 65, if the news is to be believed.

I guess they could elect a non-cardinal....