Viva il Space Papa (April 19, 2005)

Hi,
I don't think hewould have even been made a deacon in the Orthdox church as he may had killed wile in battle don't know if he saw action or not. So could be wrong.
 
AdmiralHuang said:
He's pretty elderly, I hope he has a long life.

Some have suggested that this is on purpose. Only two of those eligible to vote were not apointed by john paul II. The Idea is that they need a conservative guy for a short period of time until the liberal guys have their cards in order for the next round. The fact That he's in his seventies and not say in his fifties suggests to them that they dont expect him to fill the position very long.

Personally, I wish that everyone on the planet could have a long life. There's no reason why this new pope should be any more special than anyone else on the planet who sincerely is trying to work what is good toward all.
 
I seem to recall that the last time the cardinals tried to chose a "space-filler" pope (Pope John XXIII), he wound up shaking loose a lot of the tradition of the time with the Second Vatican Council (more commonly referred to as "Vatican II").

I'm not Catholic, mind you, just know bits and pieces here and there (suplemented with Google searches :D ).
 
spacepope.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Death said:
I seem to recall that the last time the cardinals tried to chose a "space-filler" pope (Pope John XXIII), he wound up shaking loose a lot of the tradition of the time with the Second Vatican Council (more commonly referred to as "Vatican II").

Seems to be right. However while I am qute certain that his age was an advantage for the election the comparision doesn't really hold. "Space-filler" popes have to be weak ones, and this one seems to be far from a weak pope according to his history. I see his election more as a) honoring his deeds which seem to be quite substantial and b) as intermediate solution that won't divert from the current course until some better candidate appears - aka nothing 'dangerous'. One shouldn't forget that some of the more interesting candidates are under 60 years. By the time of the next election they might be of a more 'suitable' age.
 
I've read much the same about choosing an already elderly pope... it seems the Catholic church is ready for a slightly shorter reign. Picking a man well into his seventies... that could suggest a reign that may expire within the next year!
 
Not that quick, FlashFire...

But it's not supposed to be as long a reign as John Paul II, either.

Benedict will probably reign for 5-8 years, then there'll be another conclave after his passing. Assuming all hell doesn't break loose in the meantime, at that point the Cardinals will have figured out where they want the Church to go next.

It's not as dramatic as people are saying (such as Andrew Sullivan). Yes, Benedict is conservative. However, that's applying a label that doesn't really apply within the Church. Within the wider world, all of the Cardinals are conservatives, because Catholic doctrine has become conservative, and they believe in the doctrines of the Church.

He's not the enforcer Darth Vader that he may have appeared in his previous post. That post (the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) demands that you be an enforcer hardass. As it's responsible for the doctrine of the Church and slapping those priests and theologians who err on that point, that's rather the purpose of the job.

At the same point, North Americans and Europeans should not expect that their particular concerns will matter a damn. The Third World makes up a large proportion of Catholics these days; the Church is withering in Europe, and it's not doing much better in North America. Finally, for the most part, much of their requests violate centuries if not millennia of settled Catholic doctrine, and many in Africa and Latin America would be bitterly opposed to any change on those issues.

That said, he's not (and never was) a Nazi, either. I actually think we may see some gains on ecumenical matters in this Pontificate, or at least no losses.

In short: Benedict XVI has no mandate to really change course, but rather to keep things on course for now.

Then again, who knows.
 
A lot of people in Brazil are not particulary happy with the choice, considering this is a very progressive church on some issues.

The Pope has the power to do anything his position allows, there's no limitations as you suggest. He'll probably keep course because he considers that to be the best one.
 
Delance: If he wanted to do something, no, there are no limitations, besides Canon Law, scripture, and the Magisterium. (Some things even Popes must obey.)

However, the Church is like a massive supertanker. Turning it is slow, and the places where the Church is really exploding, in Asia and Africa, are conservative.

When I said he didn't have a 'mandate' for massive change, I meant it like one might think of a US President having a mandate.

He was elected. He can exercise the powers of his office.

But does that mean it's politically feasible? He was elected for a reason, y'know, and he can't work without the help of the Cardinals.
 
Also, a sidenote: Brazil is odd. It is in many ways one of the last holdouts of liberation theology. LT was generally regarded by JP2 and the current Pope as Communism with a collar.

Neither liked Communism, to say the least.

Expect the Brazilian church to get a close look from Rome regarding their teaching.
 
I sincerly hope the new Pople can deal with LT here in Brazil. It's deeply rooted, really. And it's very strange, considered the church has long held no one can be a socialist and a catholic at the same time. Which also makes sense, considering materialism and collectivism really don't mix well with christianity. Or that you can't really serve two masters.

Well, yes, the Church is doing great on Asia and Africa. But now they need to evangelize or revitalze Europe as well.
 
Back
Top