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by john.a.wills

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For the benefit of any cardinals who are members of TechRepublic, I nominate Michel Sabbah, currently Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. As the election of J-P 2 embarrassed the Kremlin Empire, so the election of a Palestinian (the second; the first was Simon Peter) as Chief Christian would embarrass both the Zionists and the Islamists. As the Palestinian nation is part of the higher-level Arab nation, there would also be a weakening of the idea that an Arab should be a Muslim, which might lead to freedom of religion in e.g. Sa'udi Arabia.

15 replies

by montgomery gator

...I hope he takes the name Urban. My alma mater just got a new football coach (Urban Meyer, now at University of Florida), and his name comes from one of the Popes named Urban. I just think it would be cool for the Pope to have the same name as the coach of the Florida Gators, especially since it is a traditional name for Popes.

by jessie

He'd be Pope Sixtus VI (the sixth for those of you who don't know roman numerals) now if we could just get another 6 in there, the Roman Catholic church would be marked by the number of the beast... scary thought!!!

by jkaras

Why should the election of the Papacy be political not spiritual? I am not a devout Catholic but raised a Roman Catholic and as far as I am concerned it should only be judged and elected as to whom who would represent the Church the greatest. He is a spiritual leader not a politician or puppet despite the figurehead role model. I also take offense at all the talk whether a black cardinal should be the next pope? I and I dare say God doesnt care about the color of skin. Cant we let those who supposedly know what's best make that decision? If he does get elected will people then renounce their faith due to racism? Nice example from the story of "The Good Samaritan". The only things that I expect from the new Pope is to do something about holding molesting priests responsible for what they do according to law not the order's law. I also expect some sort of denouncement of money grubbing tv evangelists that masqurade as false prophets that bilk millions from people, other than that they can do whatever.

by tony hopkinson

has always been political. Why that is, is because it's an enormous amount of power, if you want to change that make the church less powerful is the only way I can see. Besides deciding who's got the most clout is far easier than who's the most spiritual.
Are those evangelist types catholics ?

by jkaras

I know history and the Church's role in it. I just have a certain expectaion that it should be above man's petty squabbles or racism and an example of how God wants us to act since they are the moral police, so to speak. Back in the day they controlled governments, not so much today, thankfully. They can have their own popularity contest internally for whatever reasons, but true religious people will accept who God deemed worthy as the representative. If they fall out of favor over this, then what was their faith all about in the first place. As for the tv evangelist thing, in my opinion if the Pope said anything about the wrongness factor I'm sure people would tune out and tv execs would pull the plug. Granted I dont support bullying strong arm tactics that happen so much in our world today but some people suffer mentally not understanding the truth and are exploited for gain. I believe in choice but execs hiding behind not my problem, got airways to sell just doesnt excuse it. If the people want it then who am I to judge? I just dont like it, just voicing an opinion. Point taken.

by deepsand

The election of a Pope has always been political; a quick read of the history of the Catholic Church will tell you as much.

As for John Paul II, his ascension was engineered by Philadelphia's John Cardinal Krol, who could have had the position, but, preferring that his personal freedom not be curtailed by the concommitant responsibility that accrues with the authority, used his political skills and capital to become the king maker, a power behind the throne.

All human organizations, great or small, are subject to the human condition, which, among other things, includes the urge for power as a necessary condition for the realiztion of desired increased freedoms.

by absolutely

of the history of the Catholic Church will give you nausea now, and nightmares later.

I object to your Nietzschian synopsis of the human condition: will to power is neither a complete nor accurate description of human nature. It's religious types who sell the dogma that I'm born in sin. The fact is that I'm born with a desire to live and to enjoy my life. "Power" as you imply its nature does not require the arbitrary right to decide others lives that has been ascribed to political power through most of history. The only power I need to successfully pursue my nature is the power to protect myself from the brainless, dangerous forces of nature, including natural disasters, and ferocious predators including but not limited to lions, tigers, bears, terrorists and Christian wackos.

by tony hopkinson

has basically been about clamping down on the more extreme forms of excess.
If you talk about replacing the a tv evangelist's truth with your's, the popes, or even my truth, I'm really not interested. Giving them the tools to find their own truth is much more ethical.

by absolutely

There is only one tool a human needs to find the truth, and it is located directly behind his/her forehead. As long as I do not interfere with your intellect and your right to use it for your own personal benefit, I am dealing with you ethically. No more than that may be required ethically.

by tony hopkinson

Give them tools, I meant teach them how to think, most people should be able to do it, but far too many choose to let somebody else do it for them.

Anyone who tries to make their truth more true by making some else see it truly, obviously has doubts about how true their thruth really is.
Tee Hee
And as you say the tool is what keeps your ears from meeting in the middle.

by deepsand

You are asking humans to act in am manner superior to their inate nature.

Recognize that ideals, while worthwhile striving for, are, by definition, unattainable; otherwise, they wouldn't be ideals, but merely ordinary & commonplace.

What counts is not what we achieve, but what we learn from our failures.

by levannah44

I'm not a Catholic, not even a Christian, but a Jewish Pope isn't as silly as it may sound. Over the generations since the inauguration of the papacy, there have always been those who, for one reason or another, chose to change their religious affiliation, although most often this was by force (known as The Inquisition).

So we've had plenty of Jews in the past who've converted to Catholicism and subsequently gone on to become priests and rise through the hierachy to become cardinals.

While I don't know of any recent adherents to this scheme, history tells us that several in the past came very close to becoming the elected Pope, so one day, it's got to happen for real, I believe. Now wouldn't that shake up a few old diehards, political and spiritual??

Failing a Jewish Pope, I suppose I'll have to stand by the Aussie candidate, Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, who, whilst not at the top of the list, is by no means a non-starter.

Of course, having a cousin who's not only an ex-nun but also a committed lesbian living in a lesbian relationship with another former nun who have both gone public about their relationship may put something of a spanner in the works, but, as a loyal Aussie, I'll stick with Pell for the time being.

It'll be interesting whatever happens!

by deepsand

Such does not perforce mean a desire to control others, only a desire to control one's own destiny.

The extent to which this desire requires control of others is dependant on the behavior of such.

by tony hopkinson

Power is the ability to change your environment for your own benefit. The rest of the human race is a major part of the environment. So if you want them to stop trying to change you ...

With religious types, I've found f'off is pretty effective, unless there's a mob of them with a pile of wood and some matches. I aren't in that much of hurry to prove to myself they were wrong.

Saying that, if I do manage to die and prove there is no afterlife, I'll have incontraverible evidence I was wrong, though not necessarily that they were wholly right.
"You say your name's Pete and you're in charge of the gate ?"
"Sheeeit"

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