New Pope

[Black Dog]

The new pontiff is Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, an arch-conservative the man whose job for the past 23 years has been to protect the doctrine of the Church. The German cardinal has been widely accused of stifling dissent within the Church and has been referred to unkindly as "The Pope's Enforcer" and "God's Rottweiler".

During World War 2, Ratzinger held (then mandatory)membership in the Hitler Youth movement and saw wartime service with a German army anti-aircraft unit.

In his early years in office, Ratzinger moved to stamp out vestiges of liberation theology, a current of Catholic thought born in the 1960s that emphasized grass-roots organization to free people from poverty. Its association with Marxist groups and revolutionary movements appalled both John Paul II and Ratzinger.

Having seen fascism in action, Ratzinger today believes that the best antidote to political totalitarianism is ecclesial totalitarianism. In other words, he believes the Catholic Church serves the cause of human freedom by restricting freedom in its internal life, thereby remaining clear about what it teaches and believes,” wrote John Allen, a journalist and biographer of Ratzinger.

[moderateamericain]

so basically this possible pop wishes for a return to the middle ages where churchs had much control over the territories(if thats what you call them back then) great that turned out real well.

[Big Blue Machine]

Finally a Nazi Pope! LOL. But seriously they made a mistake, they should have pciked a Latin American one. Ratzinger is very conservative. A more moderate would be better.

[Slavik44]

This is the catholic church who did you expect to be pope mother theresa? Not that I care to much, but I really would have prefered someone who had more then five or six years to live and had some maybe Liberal tendancies not someone who says Liberalism is an evil sect to beware of. But yeah going along with what BBM said from the little I have read Rodriguez Maradiaga would have been an interesting choice.

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear Slavik44,

This is the catholic church who did you expect to be pope mother theresa?

Unfortunately, Mother Theresa is much too dead to be Pope (besides the fact that she was a *woman*).

I believe the qualifications include 'nearly dead', not 'already dead'.

While I can understand the Church wanting to 'reaffirm their stand' against the changing moral values of society, such a stand is unlikely to win them many converts. I think appointing Chris Rock would have done wonders for recruitment, but he might not have been trusted to 'toe the party line' when it came to moral judgement.

[Newfie Canadian]

As a semi interested observer, it seems as though this pope may not be around for too long.

He just turned 78, and I think I remember hearing on one of the newscasts that he has some health issues.

I find it interesting that the cardinals would choose a pope that may not be able to physically do the kinds of things that people now expect of a pope, like extensive travel.

[Conservative1]

I have to admit i am only marginally interesting in this issue. However it is odd that they chose a pope who is 78, and who has cited health concerns. Also there is virtually no hope of reforms in the church under this pope, as he was John Pauls right hand man. I'm sure he'll do a good job, but what is the point of appointing a pope who cannot be around for more than 5 years or so, are the cardianals afraid of change, or youth and vitality.

[paranoid joe]

yeah it seems that they should have chosen a healthier cardinal (personally i was hopeing for a latin american pope), as it is often traumatic to lots of people to see the pope die.