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pic via the Catholic Church (England and Wales) at flickr.com
Didn’t we mock Oral Roberts for this sort of statement a quarter-century ago?
To applause and cheering from the crowd, [the Pope] said he had been “called” by God to devote himself to a quiet life of prayer and reflection.
Funny, years of scandal (most of which occurred under his predecessor John Paul II — the Ronald Reagan of Popes [i.e. criminally overrated]) and cover up did not seem to be a good enough reason, but the Lord speaks via the process of aging — which doesn’t seem all that miraculous.
Okay.
Of course, I’m sure this had NOTHING to do with it.
La Repubblica, citing unnamed sources familiar with the investigation, alleged that the investigation revealed a series of scandals involving sex, money and power that touch cardinals, priests and lay people that work in the Vatican.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi declined to comment on La Repubblica’s article in a media briefing on Thursday.
History will not be kind to Benedict XVI — in fact it will probably be even crueler as the failures of John Paul II (of which Ratzinger played a major part) are dumped upon him to preserve the memory of the former. But, like any ancient post that has seen its ups and downs he can take comfort in not even being close to being the worst Pope ever.
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And the seething hotbed of intrigue and infighting held illimitable dominion over all.
Good morning, pups. Today we have Keller and Krugman. In “On Keeping On” Mr. Keller gives us one fighter pilot’s simple code for life. Prof. Krugman looks at “Austerity, Italian Style,” and says the country is trapped between comics and delusional Eurocrats.
Here they are, and
here’s Krugman’s blog.
The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and the biscuits are out of the oven. We’ve got rain again today, so I’ll probably have damp, annoyed kittehs demanding to come back in shortly. They rocketed out of the house as soon as I opened the door, and no doubt will be VERY cross with me for letting it rain. Have a great day.
I note only that despite his many years in Germany, he has chosen to retire within the Vatican’s diplomatic and sovereign protection.
Boxturtle (Ain’t it amazing how these men of God work to evade the law?)
Not that he’s been a peach, but I do recall that his age and obscurity indicated Ratzi had been appointed as a filler pope sort of fix to keep the sainthood of John Paul from too close inspection.
I got the same impression. The church sees JPII is a figure that will drive recruiting and public opinion for decades.
Boxturtle (Nobody seems to believe the official reasons for his leaving the throne)
The sainthood bothers me. He loved kids, not so much women and needy sorts.
Men in dresses falling like flies, now, they are -
latest resig is the cardinal who;’ a Brit.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21572724
He denies everything. And he wants his lawyer.
Boxturtle (geez, just like Gotti)
It ain’t the beanie people wot are so crazy, it’s them wot venerates them. BTW veneratin humins fails their first rule
Hey! The humins forgives for money, it’s a sure thing.
As a non-Catholic, it seems to me the really great recent pope (not counting the great John XXIII) was John Paul I, who seems never to be mentioned by today’s church.
It’s all such nonsense. Imagine no religion.
There is more news on this subject. Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Scotland, the UK’s senior Catholic, is resigning “due to allegations surrounding unspecified inappropriate behavior toward priests in the 1980s.” This action and his decision not to attend the papal conclave next month are in spite of his “contesting the allegations.” Right.
Meow! PurrrrrRRRRrrrrr.
Hope that helps!
A-yep.
Ratzi WAS effectively Pope during JPII’s reign. He was the enforcer of reactionary dogma.
Not that I enjoy tooting my own horn, but I think many of the discussants here might profit from my post discussing the somewhat maverick Jesuit Thomas Reese’s article on the papal succession in yesterday’s WaPo.