odd, I've never heard anyone talk about any other leader and ask when they are going to die the minute they came to office.

Obviously you are out of the gossip circle.

I am so not understanding that

Not many leaders come to office at such an age. It's a valid discussion. I wish someone would get on with assassinating Bush. Make it a Texan seperatist, if such a thing exists.

Don't try to degrade a valid topic because you have been made a fool of, especially by means of insulting the topic. It will only make you look even more foolish, if that were possible in this case.

Oh yeah, Dick Cheney, Bob Dole, and many other figures including many popes have had concerns about their age raised when they ran/entered office.

dude, you really should watch what you say...

please.

Hah, what's gonna happen? FBI fly over here?

(End of hijack)

I personally don't think Benedict XVI's age is of concern. Reagan was how old?

he was 'president' from ages 69 to 77

Just so the record is straight, he did not fight as a soldier for anyone. He was a member of some Nazi youth group, but that may be excusable since not being a Nazi while living in Germany during Hitler's reign was like trying to not be a Baathist in Iraq during Saddam's rule or not being a Communist in China today. Many people in those three political parties were not supporters but were members out of fear. For example, Schindler from the movie Schindler's list was a member of the Nazi party out of necessity. Ratzinger's comments on Judaism when he was not under political duress to constrain his speech is overall positive. For example, I believe he has said that it is destructive for Cristianity to divorce itself from its Jewish roots. The real debate of praise for and criticism against Ratzinger ought to come from things he has said and done when not living under the threat of death for disagreeing with his rulers.

Edit: Maybe he was a soldier, but all the media reports I've heard just say he was in some youth organization. I'd expect the media to make a big deal if he actually worked with weaponry, especially since the last pope was such a hard core pacifist, so I'm just assuming he's never fought.

I was actually rather appalled by the talk of him dying 'so it doesn't matter what he does' talk, and therefore got my information wrong because I wasn't really looking up what I wrote.

And yes, he looks much closer to 60 than 78 to me. But that could be just because he a central european.

You make some excellent points, and holding someone's feet to the fire for what they do at that age and in a time we have little understanding of is not really fair.

I agree with that. Probably not fair of me to have brought it up at all, regardless of whether I noted the fact that he eventually deserted the army. Apologies!

He was part of the Hitler Youth, which almost all young people were part of at the time, since it was heavily frowned upon in schools which were all but owned by the Nazis not to be.

For full disclosure purposes he also worked in the anti-aircraft corps and an anti-tank battalion prior to his desertion.

Active military duty is an impediment to ordination. If anyone in the Church hierarchy actually believed that, he wouldn't be ordained a priest, much less bishop/cardinal/pope.

Nazi Youth actually did participate in conflict in some situations. There was a famous battle (so famous I can't remember the name of it) where soliders fighting against the Nazi Youth describe the ferosity of the children. But, that was towards the end of the war.

Can you say Eggs Benedict?

I believe he was in the Army but was discharged.

You said don't be Catholic, Thule, but for me it wasn't that simple. I was placed into a Catholic primary school and went to a Catholic church through my childhood, and was forcefed the beliefs etc. So I took Holy Communion and was Confirmed. It is only now that I am actually able to look into the beliefs with a mind mature enough to make a decision on it. And I can't help but feel those ideals are wrong. It is only now that I am leaning away from RCC and deciding that is isn't the religion for me. Blame GCSE RS. It is ironic really. I go to a Catholic school and the point of the lessons on Catholicism is to affirm my belief, but it has done the complete opposite.

My point is Thule, that I may not want to be Catholic, but I am entitled to my opinion. That is all it was, my opinion. I wouldn't dare tell 1 billion people that their beliefs -are- not right, I just think it.