New Pope

[Aileron]

Ratzinger is now the new pope.....

[no_leaf_clover]

And is a 78(!) year old conservative?

[Ben K]

OMG THE POPE IS 78! HE COULD DIE AROUND THE YEAR 2012! OMG OMG OMG!

seriously though, they probably just couldnt find anyone better

And is a 78(!) year old conservative?

FROM GERMANY! AHHH!

[Gandalf]

HE COULD DIE AROUND THE YEAR 2012!

please not again... its getting embarrassing.

Doug

[no_leaf_clover]

seriously though, they probably just couldnt find anyone better Razz

Yeah, but all your sarcasm aside, how long do you expect someone that's already 78 to live in the position of Pope? It was also of relative importance as to whether or not he would continue with a conservative policy or be more free with church policy. I don't know where you come off deciding to be so damned sarcastic.

[Kris]

HE COULD DIE AROUND THE YEAR 2012!

please not again... its getting embarrassing.

Doug

ROFL..

[Ben K]

HE COULD DIE AROUND THE YEAR 2012!

please not again... its getting embarrassing.

Doug

Haha, just tryin to stir things up a bit

Yeah, but all your sarcasm aside, how long do you expect someone that's already 78 to live in the position of Pope? It was also of relative importance as to whether or not he would continue with a conservative policy or be more free with church policy. I don't know where you come off deciding to be so damned sarcastic

Really, I dont give a damn. But im glad you care so much about my opinion.

[karnautrahl]

Sadly I hear that he is ultra conservative. A sad thing to hear when he could influence 1billion people. Scary, is the world going to go backwards a bit maybe?  Why are the major religions so damned certain that their views are correct. This is a reaction to stuff I saw on the news last night .

[Dixie]

Y'know, speaking of Popes and the end of the world, there's only one more Pope after this as predicted by Nostradamus before the supposed end of the world.    I saw that on the history channel, I think.

[Scorpyn]

Y'know, speaking of Popes and the end of the world, there's only one more Pope after this as predicted by Nostradamus before the supposed end of the world.    I saw that on the history channel, I think.

He predicted that the catholic church will stop with the pope system?  

[-lines-]

Well -that's- a different way to interpret that quote.

[slernman]

I doesn't matter whoever  the pope is to most of us catholics or non-catholics. People now can make up their own mind on issues and don't need a religious figure to say how to take communion or consult with the church on decisions they make. How much power does the pope have anyway?

[no_leaf_clover]

Sadly I hear that he is ultra conservative.

lol! Funny you should say that. Look what I just found out..

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger — a favorite to become the next pontiff — joined the Nazi children's corps in 1941 as a 14-year-old and was later an anti-aircraft gunner.

At one point, he guarded a factory where slaves from a concentration camp were forced to work. He was later shipped to Hungary, where he reportedly saw Jews persecuted.

Ratzinger, a staunch conservative dubbed "God's Rottweiler," has said he joined the Hitler Youth when membership became compulsory. He and his brother were later drafted but deserted. The cardinal claims he never fired a shot and that resistance would have meant death.

Not so, Germans from his hometown of Traunstein told The Times of London.

"It was possible to resist, and those people set an example for others," recalled Elizabeth Lohner, 84. "The Ratzingers were young — and they had made a different choice."

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/42823.htm

Another interesting piece that relates:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1251677.stm

[Kris]

AAAHHHHH!! HE'S A FORMER NAZI!!

[Scorpyn]

If you were against Hitler you were sent to prison. Just wearing the wrong type of clothes put you in danger. Being a member of any nazi organization whatsoever meant nothing - you were literally forced to be a member, at least regarding Hitlerjugend.

[no_leaf_clover]

If you were against Hitler you were sent to prison. Just wearing the wrong type of clothes put you in danger. Being a member of any nazi organization whatsoever meant nothing - you were literally forced to be a member, at least regarding Hitlerjugend.

The article I posted referred to this, saying

Not so, Germans from his hometown of Traunstein told The Times of London.

"It was possible to resist, and those people set an example for others," recalled Elizabeth Lohner, 84. "The Ratzingers were young — and they had made a different choice."

But, either way, he has retained some ultra-conservative beliefs. It's hard to tell how much of an effect those years of his life has had on him.

[Scorpyn]

I'm saying it was impossible becase my grandmother had to leave Germany because she didn't want to join Hitlerjugend, but there is of course the possibility that the impact of not joining was different in different parts of Germany.

[Gandalf]

As I said in another post, its a cheap shot to throw out the old 'Hitler Youth' point.. as anyone who knows their German history will know that at that point at the end of the war, all kids of his age were conscripted into the Hitler Youth as a desperate last resort.. he later was sent to man anti-aircraft guns but managed to escape and hand himself over to the allies.

I'm not a Catholic myself so I have no particular axe to grind but I do find it a bit sad how often the 'hitler youth' thing is brought out as a means of discreditng the guy.

There has been a lot of criticism coming out recently as well as a lot of bad jokes; While mildly amusing, much of it is also obviously sectarian and it is felt to be 'safely amusing' as it is often made by a US protestant majority, many of whom are guilty of 'the pot calling the kettle black' in any case, as many evangelical protestant sects in the US are far nuttier than anything out of the Vatican... 'Rapture-ready' bumper stickers anyone? Hell-fire and damnation 24/7? No thanks.

I'm not protestant either, or any kind of christian for that matter.. but i detest sectarianism wherever I see it.. and i see it all the time!

Doug

[no_leaf_clover]

he later was sent to man anti-aircraft guns but managed to escape and hand himself over to the allies.

Ah. They left that out, and I was too lazy to look any further.

I don't like any form of evangelicalism.. x.x

Still, I can't help but wonder how his youth has impacted him psychologically, even all these years later. He's still way out on the right anyway.

[Hannah b]

Yes..God certainly does have a sense of humour.
I think that it's pretty ironic that the new pope is German.
I got shivers today when I heard him preaching in his native language.
My country suffered great losses during the Nazi invasion (almost 6 million people), and even though 50 years have passed, and there are new generations, many polish people including many young ones, simply don't have a friendly attitude towards Germany.
I just can't imagine all those Polish Christian grandmas, who still remember WWII, and loved the Polish Pope so dearly, now will have to pray for a German Pope...pure irony.
Yes, there is the beautiful word "forgiveness"...I use it even though 3/4 of my family was murdered in the concentration camps..but this is just me...
.. for most, some things just can't be forgotten.

I've heard opinions that this is a perfect oportunity for him to pay back for his country's sins..maybe..

I have no intention in offending anyone , but this Pope will have a lot of work to do if he wants to be the the best example of pure unconditional love that his church is trying to teach.

all the best

[Gandalf]

To dislike the pope because he is german however (his 'voice' apparantly) is however quite racist, the very thing you hate about the nazi ideology.. how about you show a good example by not discriminating against people just of where they come from?

Doug

[redcatherine]

What the cardinals believe ?
http://www.cardinalrating.com/cardinal_84.htm

http://www.laze.net/fait/archive/2005/04/21/autoerotic_spirituality.php

http://paramita.typepad.com/dharma_forest/2005/04/pope_benedict_x.html

http://www.ssonet.com.au/display.asp?ArticleID=4228

Truth in all religions
http://www.omsakthi.org/essays/truth_religions.html

[Shinobi]

...

[patapouf]

He is an ultra-conservative person; everybody have its opinions it seems....But he better watch out for the words that come out of his mouth! He better preach love instead of attacking other groups of people.... and leave his own personal opinions aside if he realize that it may cause more harm than good. If he is just a little bit a responsible person, he will do that, but it seems that it is not what we can observe presently.... Also, it seems that he only relate to the literal sense of the bible when the most important things is not in the written words but by the way Jesus lived it's life.....

Take care,

[redcatherine]

In meditation we saw an empty wooden box with a fish on it .
I felt this meant the cornerstone is empty this is not Peter .
But we also  heard ,"Do not judge . It is not for you to understand why this is a pope of transition .  It is not for for your eyes for this path to be revealed .  Observe and Reflect  do not break peace or sow discord

Sometimes the best way to effect change is to present the truth without one's own reflections upon it . Do not react to the truths just reflect on them . So I will retract what I wrote and point instead to what Ratzinger has  said that is enough .

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe simply because it has been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of Teachers, elders or wise men. Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all. Then accept it and live up to it."
- The Buddha on Belief - from the Kalama Sutta