Papabile: Papal predictions thread

[Syt]

I think a South American pope will fit in nicely with the church - conservative on sexual issues, kinda leftish when it comes to teh poor.

[Barrister]

Dude, for real.  Benedict wins the Gayest Pope Ever award.  IIRC his great hobbies outside of writing about theological shit included listening to music (show tunes, I'm guessing), playing the piano, and petting cats.

St. Peter's Basilica is quite inspiring.

I dunno - it left me rather cold (and I toured a lot of cathedrals that were in fact inspiring).

[Sheilbh]

I can't help but feel the saddest thing about this Pope is that Alec Guinness died before he could play him. The whole look is very Smiley in the Curia - which is no bad thing, given the state of the curia.

[Martinus]

So the guy is 76 and has only one lung?

Countdown to the next Conclave...

10...
9...
8...

[Martinus]

Also what's the big deal about kissing feet of men with AIDS? Statistically, I most likely did that too.

As long as they did not have any open wounds, the bitch will be fine. 

[Razgovory]

Can you be a jackass somewhere else for a while?

[Martinus]

Jesuits have tended to be at the fore of reform in the Church. Also as you say they are normally very lefty and really push the social teaching.

But as I say there's interesting hints here. He's a Jesuit who chose the name Francis, he's from a reformist movement but with close ties to the Communione e Liberazione lot.

Did you notice he wasn't wearing the fancy jeweled papal cross at the announcement, but his own wooden one?  Telling.

Wood floats and does not drag you down and he probably knows a lot about throwing people into the ocean.

[Camerus]

Can you be a jackass somewhere else for a while?

Yeah, no kidding.

[Martinus]

[Martinus]

Ok I gotta say, I'm conflicted about him.

Cons: the unclear connections to the junta (and even if he did not cooperate, did he oppose it enough or is it another case of Pius and the nazis?); sadly no change in sexual ethics

Pros: a Jesuit, inspired by St. Francis, a stranger to Roman Curia's intrigues, humble, sensitive to the plight of the poor

[Caliga]

Last night, I was reading somewhere (sadly, I forget where, else I would have linked it) that he was actually the runner-up to Ratzinger at the last conclave, and may well have won that one except he made an emotional plea begging the other cardinals to stop voting for him.  What's weird is that, if this is true, his name barely came up at all as a papabili this time around.

[Caliga]

sadly no change in sexual ethics

You didn't seriously think there was any chance in hell of there being a change, did you?

[Martinus]

Last night, I was reading somewhere (sadly, I forget where, else I would have linked it) that he was actually the runner-up to Ratzinger at the last conclave, and may well have won that one except he made an emotional plea begging the other cardinals to stop voting for him.  What's weird is that, if this is true, his name barely came up at all as a papabili this time around.

Yeah I've seen this reported by several sources.

Sigh. Why can't the Popes and conservatives grow up and be pro gay eventually. I would probably be a conservative and a Catholic if they were as a lot of my views would probably coincide with moderate conservatism - I just can't abide supporting something that hates my guts.

[Martinus]

sadly no change in sexual ethics

You didn't seriously think there was any chance in hell of there being a change, did you?

Well, they are bound to change eventually - it's just that probably it won't be in our lifetime.

[Caliga]

I think they would respond that they in fact love you, and just wish you would cease your sinful behavior.