Not sure what I think about this yet. I was expecting some liberal, African guy from the hints we got.

You Catholic Amaru?

I thought the Nigerian was fairly Consverative. I hope the best for the RCC, Benedict XVI has some big shoes to fill.

I am, yea. My family is of Polish ethnicity, we always liked John Paul II. This guy's a German


Kidding. One Cardinal's speech during the conclave went along the lines of 'John Paul was a priest, a prophet... now the Church needs a king'. Ratzinger is as orthodox and conservative as it gets, which I'm generally in favour of, but not everyone is - and with the decline in interest in the Church lately, it could be damaging. For me it's inspiring to see people with such strong faith in the face of adversity and calls for change and liberalisation - we'll see.

I'm a former Catholic and really liked JP II. I really support a conservative church. Best wishes to all my RCC friends out there.

Recent studies and all that funky stuff, have shown that the less 'wishy washy' a religion is the more people are going to go to these days.

In times of ambiguity people like certainty.


The Italian newspapers are calling this guy Papa Ratzi

He was called 'God's rottweiller (sp?)' by someone.

I'm disappointed in the choice. I'm also not a Catholic, but I think Catholicism is a powerful enough force that the election of a new Pope has the potential of impacting the entire world. This, I think, is going to be a Papacy that is a step backwards. Ratzinger speaks out against the ordanation of women, tolerance of homosexuality, and sex education. Even in his own country more people were against him being elected Pope than for, and some relatively prominent figures have spoken out against some of his ideals.

Let's not forget that he also fought as a Nazi soldier for a while, at least as much as one can "fight" helping to operate anti-aircraft guns and repairing tanks. But then, pretty much any young boy living in Germany did so, and he did leave the army before the end of the war.

That's what the media was hoping for. Personally I believe those were not hints, but more of wishful thinking by reporters. I'd have been extremely shocked if they picked someone who was not like John Paul II since the guy was so well liked. I don't know much about Ratzinger's personality, but his doctrine is quite in synch with the last pope. Picking a liberal pope would have been a complete 180 degree turn around for the church, which maybe would have happened if the pervious conservative pope ended his reign as a massive failure and had the public calling for a reform-oriented papacy. But since John Paul II was so successful and popular, trying to change his overall winning formula in the short term would not make sense.

Personally I didn't have a preference one way or the other since I'm not Catholic.

YEah.. its Soooo dissapointing when people stick to thier beliefs and traditions. I hate it!

Boy that is dredging up the past. I smoked pot when I was younger, does that make me unfit to be a minister?

I cannot look at him and say he is the Pope. You say Pope to me I think John Paul II. Ratzinger has a massive task. And from I hear on the news, he may not have long to do it before a new Pope is required, one way or another.

I don't have a problem with them sticking to their beliefs and traditions in the least. It's their choice, and an important one. But the Catholic creed is on the verge of being consumed by modernism, and like all things, adaptation is the key to survival. Everything that Catholics base their views on today was ultimately decided by a council of men who had a specific political goal in mind, so it isn't as though they are being noble by sticking to a set of inaliable truths. They are just staying with what they are comfortable with, in my opinion, to their detriment.

The news doesn't want a conservative pope, don't listen to the news


Edit: To Rhysus, thats what they said in the 1700s with the birth of modernism

Adaptation? Sounds like compromise to me. When food and poison compromise, poison always wins.

Also a good point. I would be surprised if there was not a new Pope in the next five years, and one needs to consider whether this was a conscious choice by the Cardinals to establish a sort of transitionary Papacy, after the papal legacy established by John Paul II.

It's not compromise when it's done for survival. It's adaptation. Your analogy doesn't make sense in context.

Look at it this way. He won't be pope for very long!

It makes perfect sense, it isn't Catholicism if it changes.

The presidant is not presidant for very long. the pope will most likely be pope for atleast 2 presidancies, if not 3.

Should edit that to say 'It isn't Catholicism if it changes drastically