So... this new Popemaster

Kraig · #1 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

Okay I don't get it... Why elect a pope who is 78 that already looks like he is going to die sometime soon? Sheeeeeeiiiit. My gut tells me we are gonna have a case of popeja-vu in the next 5 years.

Gusto · #2 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

popes live (almost) forever.

-ff- · #3 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kraig

Okay I don't get it... Why elect a pope who is 78 that already looks like he is going to die sometime soon? Sheeeeeeiiiit. My gut tells me we are gonna have a case of popeja-vu in the next 5 years.

Thats the point.

The whole idea is not to have someone who lives too long, because they don't want power to concentrate. JPII was an anomaly.

miss.myra · #4 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

more pope puns pls! :p

LLaaUUrrYYn · #5 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

Before Pope John Paul II, Popes only reigned (is that the right word?) For an average of 5-8 years.. They dont want someone to be in power that long.

This is just based on information I heard at work yesterday :D

Kraig · #6 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

Ahhh... well then.

Someone should have been walking around with a sign reading "ELECT The Anti-Christ Marilyn Manson as POPE!"

sidekick · #7 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

Quote:

Originally Posted by -ff-

Thats the point.

The whole idea is not to have someone who lives too long, because they don't want power to concentrate. JPII was an anomaly.

ahh! thanks for clearing this up for me. i was thinking the same thing as Kraig and wondering why the hell they would elect such an old guy for the position. makes sense now though.

wum · #8 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

hmm, so if they're only looking for someone transitional who is old and feeble, is that to say that someone else is pulling the strings? sorta like a praetorian guard type dilly

Gusto · #9 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

Quote:

Originally Posted by wum

hmm, so if they're only looking for someone transitional who is old and feeble, is that to say that someone else is pulling the strings? sorta like a praetorian guard type dilly

haha, possibly, but i think you're reaching a little too much. without something to back it up, anyway.

Goodfellow · #10 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

no hope for pope :(

Goodfellow · #11 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

i say we name him popemaster flex IV : XX

cheebus420 · #12 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

Popes for pickles.

miSsy_chriSsy · #13 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

popefully he does a good job.... or the situation could become popeosterous.

wum · #14 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

the people electing him, totally came from a pope-pourri of different backgrounds

-ff- · #15 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

yeah, but he'd better pope he can find a way to attract increasingly secular westerners back to the church

automatic · #16 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

he's pope john paul's lapdog and former right hand man. the speculation is that after such a strong pope as john paul the next pope would be in essence a caretaker pope, continuing john paul's postions and not changing much. look for him to probably take less of a position on polititcs as john paul while continuing john paul's conservative stance on moral issues.

the interesting one will be the pope after clement XVI. while some hope that the church will pick a pope who might be somewhat more reform minded around moral issues, the fact is that currently i think all but 3 of the 160 or so cardinals were appointed by john paul. this is why consensus on ratzenburger to become clement xiv was reached so soon. john paul may have managed to lay a conservative framework on the church that could last for hundreds of years.

tvmann · #17 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

A very old Pope likely has no problem making decrees against sex, fun, spicy food etc since they won't be having any more of that, if they ever had any before.

Tayfoon · #18 (**permalink**) Apr 22, 05

Uhm

They picked him also because he is old, sometimes they pick and old pope so he wont be in power for too long, but it will give them time to find a young (if you can call it that) pope so this one is just for the inbetween stage