The Final Battles of Benedict XVI

[Tamas]

He prefers to continue working on the last part of his series on Jesus, which he wants to finish before dying.

I hope he finishes it. I'd hate not to be able to find out how it ends.

Who spoke with whom, and for how long? What did they talk about? Who attends early Mass with whom, and who invites whom to dinner? Who's in and who's out? Who belongs and who doesn't, and who's coming into favor and who's falling out of it?

That's what you get for staffing your entire government with gays.

[Tamas]

And I would say "good, they deserve to fall" if it wasn't for the fact that a lot of the Catholic third world would be probably lost to islam if these guys were to go out in a blaze of scandal.

[Martinus]

And I would say "good, they deserve to fall" if it wasn't for the fact that a lot of the Catholic third world would be probably lost to islam if these guys were to go out in a blaze of scandal.

Yeah. I wish Catholicism just abandoned Europe and focused on the savages.

[Tonitrus]

And I would say "good, they deserve to fall" if it wasn't for the fact that a lot of the Catholic third world would be probably lost to islam if these guys were to go out in a blaze of scandal.

I didn't think there was all that much Catholic third-world outside of Central/South America, except the Phillipines.  Maybe the pockets in Africa, but I can't imagine those really count.  It is Africa, after all.

[Maladict]

Pretty much all of sub-Saharan Africa is Christian.

[Sheilbh]

Who spoke with whom, and for how long? What did they talk about? Who attends early Mass with whom, and who invites whom to dinner? Who's in and who's out? Who belongs and who doesn't, and who's coming into favor and who's falling out of it?

That's what you get for staffing your entire government with gays.

That was my response on reading that line

And I would say "good, they deserve to fall" if it wasn't for the fact that a lot of the Catholic third world would be probably lost to islam if these guys were to go out in a blaze of scandal.

In sub-Saharan Africa you've got to worry about the evangelicals too.  The Catholic Church may have its problems but I'd rather it than the American backed Evangelicals trying to introduce the death penalty for the gays.

[Tonitrus]

Pretty much all of sub-Saharan Africa is Christian.

And I am sure that pretty much all of sub-Saharan Africa isn't really serious about it.  Much like in Europe. 

[MadImmortalMan]

And I would say "good, they deserve to fall" if it wasn't for the fact that a lot of the Catholic third world would be probably lost to islam if these guys were to go out in a blaze of scandal.

Yeah. I wish Catholicism just abandoned Europe and focused on the savages.

You have no idea how accurate you are.

[The Larch]

What? Internal infighting and shady dealings in the Vatican? Outrageous!

[CountDeMoney]

What? Internal infighting and shady dealings in the Vatican? Outrageous!

No shit, what is this?  1254?  John XII?  Sixtus IV?  Scandals and power struggles in the Vatican?  How will Holy Mother Church ever survive?

[Sheilbh]

What? Internal infighting and shady dealings in the Vatican? Outrageous!

No shit, what is this?  1254?  John XII?  Sixtus IV?  Scandals and power struggles in the Vatican?  How will Holy Mother Church ever survive?

I did get annoyed at the first line.  I'm fairly sure 'apocalyptic' has quite a specific meaning in Vatican thinking.  And the main message seems to be that Germans shouldn't get involved south of Alps which is also the lesson of 1000 years of European history

I think the article's best for the human side of Benedict.  That he seems sad and isolated and trying to retreat from an office that he can't really abdicate from, because he'll see his election as God's choice.  You've got to feel for him.

[Tamas]

I have very few sympathy for overly ambitious gay ex-nazi nerds.

[Syt]

I did get annoyed at the first line.  I'm fairly sure 'apocalyptic' has quite a specific meaning in Vatican thinking. 

Isn't there some kind of "prophecy" that claims that the current Pope will be the last one?

[CountDeMoney]

I think the article's best for the human side of Benedict.  That he seems sad and isolated and trying to retreat from an office that he can't really abdicate from, because he'll see his election as God's choice.  You've got to feel for him.

I think he is well aware that his election was merely a placeholder in the shadow of Johnny the Deuce, someone to allow his predecessor' to be celebrated before the election of the next Pontiff that will mostly likely sit for decades, and that he was expected not to have much of a legacy. 
The fact that he's trying to actively accomplish what he's trying to accomplish is a credit to someone who is intent on just not keeping the seat warm.

[Caliga]

Isn't there some kind of "prophecy" that claims that the current Pope will be the last one?

I think that's supposed to be the next pope, not Benedict XVI.