Tell me honestly and with a straight face that this man doesn't look EVIL:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

[davidinalameda]

1. if I didn't have to sign up for the site

I'd tell you

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. Fixed now

Wrongly copied a link to the article instead of to the image.

[Melodybe]

2. Is that the neo-con choice for pope?

[RevolutionaryActs]

3. Who is that? He's SCARY!

:scared: :cry:

[Hand]

5. Cardinal Ratzinger

The main enforcer of church doctrine. He's a mild-mannered, soft-spoken thug.

:nuke:

[RevolutionaryActs]

13. Ooh, sounds lovely.

:scared:

[Hand]

17. A shoe-in for the big miter...

I'm betting he'll declare himself Pius XIII just so there's no mistaking what's in store.
:nuke: :hurts: :thumbsdown: :hide:

[tjwmason]

24. There's never a shoe-in

"He who enters the conclave a Pope, leaves it a cardinal."

That he is the front-runner is the biggest reason for him not getting it.

It's also far from certain that he wants it - there's a perfectly good chance that he might turn it down if elected.

It has been very clear for a few years that he just wants to retire and write books on Liturgy (I must confess to liking his liturgical thoughts) - but he would never have asked the late Pope to allow him to retire.

[Richardo]

27. besides, it's spelled "shoo-in"

[Hand]

30. Bugger. So it is. Now I must disembowel myself.

That's gonna suck.

[RPM]

19. isnt his group f/k/a The Holy Inquisition

Someone told me once that Ratzinger heads the organization "for the doctrines of faith" which is the organization formerly known as THe Inqusition. Is that on point?

Sure helps explain his happy demeanor...

[tjwmason]

20. Yes - and no

When people think of the Inquisition they think of the Spanish Inquisition which was really an instrument of royal authority in supressing the remains of Islam and Judaism, which is not what Cardinal Rat heads.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith used to be called the Holy Office, and before that the Roman Inquisition. The Roman Inquisition - though harsh by modern standards - was actually fairly benign by contemporary standards. The Papal States were actually among the best places in Europe for Jews to live, f.w.i.w.

[RPM]

23. considering Europe's treatment of jews, thats not saying much n/t

[tjwmason]

25. No it isn't

That's why I added 'by contemporary standards'.

[maveric]

32. Cardinal Nosferatu.

Scary! :scared:

[Kellanved]

4. Tell that these guys

:scared:

http://www.ratzingerfanclub.com/

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. The URL name is scary enough already

:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[terrya]

6. That is a terrifying visage.

He looks like the kind of guy who kicks dogs.

[meegbear]

9. EEEEE-VILLE!

Creepy too.

[MADem]

10. Cardinal Ratzinger, conservative extraordinaire

Why he is a front runner for the job:

1. He is old, won't last forever. Regarded by some as a great transition Pope while the church figures out what to do, where to go.

2. Count on more of the same in terms of personal issues vis a vis the faith (birth control, celibacy, women in the church).

3. As a German, he could motivate secular, cheap-for-their-personal-incomes Europe to open their wallets...and perhaps increase lagging attendance.

5. He speaks many languages, can really rip in Italian to the point of eloquence (with a very slight, but charming, German accent), which will endear him to the locals.

6. Mega-Vatican insider. No fool. Not easily swayed. Commands respect. Is sufficiently humble. His eulogy for JP2 was damn near a tear jerker, made people who were cognizant of his normally inscruitable demeanor look at him differently. If there was a deputy pope, he would have been it. Widely believed to have made a load of decisions when JP2 was under the weather.

7. Has a soft, melodious, almost sweet and grandfatherly voice, which mitigates his somewhat stern appearance.

Mind, he is not the only front runner, but if they don't want to rock the boat at all, and continue on the present course for now, he's the go-to guy. If they want to expand and broaden their influence, they will go with a more creative choice. It's hard to know what they will do, but he is definitely in the race.

[terrya]

15. And he's the guiding force of the Vatican's stances on homosexuality...

and same-sex marriage. He's a vile, reactionary influence.

And I think you may be right. He could be the next Pope.

[MADem]

18. There are others in the running, so do not lose heart

The only problem with making a hard left choice is if the candidate dies too soon, then people will really start to worry if some force is knocking the liberals off...but you never know. Sometimes, when these guys are elected, and they take the top job (they can refuse), they are freed in an odd way. The job is for life, they have the conn, they are alone at the top, and sometimes their hearts change. If his does, no one would dare argue with him.

Having said that, no need for anyone to hold their breath!

[Kellanved]

33. "...Europe to open their wallets..."

He did much to drive the Europeans away from the church. Most wish for a gentler, more liberal church - his liberal counterpart in the German church, Cardinal Lehmann, would be a far more accepted choice here.
Also, the pockets are hardly closed - remember the church tax?

[Inland]

11. "Tubular Bells" comes over the PA. nt

[demnan]

12. Yeah

I wonder how many little alter boys he's raped (and don't anybody tell me that's an unfair assumption).

[MADem]

16. I highly doubt that

He's damn near a mystic. Conservative, yes, but not a perv. Oddly enough, that problem doesn't come out in the Europeans too much. If anything, they have a housekeeper on the side.

But this guy, no. I'd bet a bundle on it.

[Bunny]

21. Why is that?

I've often wondered why pedophile priests seem to be such a uniquely American phenomenon. I do realize that pedophile priests have been in other countries as well, but why does it seem so prevalent in America?

[MADem]

28. Ireland has the problem too, and in some ways worse

...the girls seem to be abused a bit more over there as well.

I really don't know why. All I know is that in Italy, I lived in a parish with a lovely Italian priest. Never missed a meal, loved a glass or two of wine, cultured, fun, worldly, great dinner guest. I also knew the priest's son. No one SAID he was the priest's son, he was officially the housekeeper's son, but the young (well, 30-something) man was the spit flipping image of the priest. Everyone knew it, no one really cared.

I get the sense over there that they don't have any angst about taking a cafeteria approach to the faith. Here, people do it, but they sweat it, argue about it, make claims about who is a "good" or "bad" Catholic...but over there, if you show up at Easter and Xmas, and make the odd contribution to keep the foundation solid, you are good enough! And the priests know it! They actually LIVE in the world, I guess.

Here's another example: I knew a lady in Spain (American), good Irish Catholic, who had six or seven kids. She brought up the subject with a Spanish priest at a cocktail party about having more kids, sort of feeling him out, because she really didn't want any more, frankly. The priest reached over, patted her arm in the most fatherly fashion possible, and very sweetly said "Enough. You've done enough. You've done MORE than enough! No one could ask more from you!" And he didn't mean she should enter the convent, either. This wasn't recently, mind you, this was back in the 60's.

[davidinalameda]

14. he just looks sleepy

with those big ass bags under his eyes

[tjwmason]

26. He is definitely feeling his age

and the aftermath of the Pope's death can't be very easy for him; first, as a very devout Catholic he would mourn deeply; secondly, he was a personal friend; and thirdly, as Dean of the College of Cardinals a massive weight just dropped on his shoulders.

[hfojvt]

22. you think evil advertises itself?

The Angel of Light was also known as the Morning Star. Evil is often more like Ted Bundy or the Boston Strangler, able to charm people into helping him, before he strikes.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

29. I definitely don't want this guy as pope

I'm not expecting a liberal pope, but a moderate one would be nice. The church will never change their abortion and same sex marriage stances but hopefully with a moderate pope they'd look into changing their positions on birth control and the ordination of women.

[Squeech]

31. Hmmm...

To me he looks like a cross between Andy Rooney and Grandpa Munster.

That's the banality of evil at work, I guess...