Seriously, quit freaking out about Ratzinger.

[NoodleBoy]

The man is 78. John Paul II was almost 85 when he died.

My point is, he's probably more of a "care-taker" choice instead of an "activist" Pope the way John Paul II was, and I doubt the church will actually move in a different direction until Ratzinger/Benedict XVI dies.

It's also a possibility that he could seek to retire early, he was criticized for suggesting once that maybe John Paul II should retire when his health got bad.

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. Except for the fact that change is needed now, not in five years.

This was an awful decision. I'm quite sick about it.

[NoodleBoy]

2. Why now?

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. We are coming off of the Church speaking out against segments of

society, molestation charges and buyoffs. The priesthood is in need of major change, there is major upheaval in the world that (in the minds of progressive Catholics) needs to be addressed with a strong voice...today...not four Middle Eastern countries later. That's all I am saying.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

3. The kind of change people are talking about...

Will likely never come. It's not right. But that's the way it is. Pray for them, but that's all you can do.
Duckie

[elperromagico]

6. The pull of the status quo is too strong.

Monumental change is hard enough to achieve; when you've got a set-in-their-ways group like the Conclave, it's damn near impossible.

It's good to see you, MelDuckie. :)

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. Now I am kind of hoping for a split like the Anglican Church here in

America. Secular Catholicism is looking like the way to go. All are welcome. Sigh...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

8. Thanks.

You too.

[tjdee]

5. What about the prophesy?

Isn't it a bit back handed of him to name himself Benedictine, so as to further perpetuate the Malachy thing, which basically says he's an interim pope and that the next pope is the last one?

How obnoxious, and you'd think above an old religious minded man.

That's the most interesting thing for me, a nonCatholic.

[TheMightyFavog]

9. Yeah, but how the fuck do you get Glory of the Olives out of a German?

:shrug:

[tjdee]

11. That has something to do with the Benedictines...

at least someone suggested that on another thread?
:shrug:

[TheMightyFavog]

12. Maybe he likes to eat olives or something?

:shrug:

[NoodleBoy]

10. ok, I'm going to be harsh about this, but it's the best way to put it:

FUCK prophecies. There's more of them than there are possible outcomes for a situation, and it's not like this has been the first time and it definitely won't be the last over the church's two thousand year history that someone somewhere has sworn up and down that the world will end soon or the church will fall soon.

[SmileyBoy]

13. Exactly. THANK YOU.

It seems like every 10 years nowadays people freak out about the apocalypse. But it never happens...

[tjdee]

14. I'm not commenting on the veracity of it, just the asshattedness of Ratzin

ger to encourage it by naming himself Benedict.

[The Donkey]

15. Kinda like when Cheney

decided that he would be the best choice to be VP after running the selection process himself . . . .

[Pawel K]

16. Do you guys understand the Church won't change? Get over it

Look, there are about 1.1 billion catholics around the world. The only ones that are bitching are the ones in the US and a few others, a great minority. If you don't like it leave the church; if you criticise it I am willing to bet you don't follow the religion very closely anyway. 1 billion people won't change because a few million think they should.

[Squeech]

17. No, I think this is how it works

First of all, the Pope chooses cardinals, single-handedly. Ratzinger won because John Paul II picked reactionaries exclusively. The newly minted Benedict will do likewise, possibly even favoring his Opus Dei buds. So even if Benedict spends his term just fighting fires (or trying), the next Pope is likely to be even worse.

Secondly, this isn't gonna help the Church. Catholics in the liberal democracies are already breaking with the Church over such issues as abortion and contraception, acceptance of gays, and especially child abuse by priests. I mentioned in another thread that the archbishop of Boston is closing parishes, in part because they need the money for settlements with abused children, and in part because certain congregations are giving them too much backtalk, but another reason is, they're running out of priests! The curia has to think about how to solve that problem, and it doesn't seem to me that clinging to an exclusively male and celibate clergy is gonna help.

The church is losing market share in Brazil too, to charismatic Protestant denominations. How is it in the rest of Latin America?