Pope Benedict XVI announced he will resign on February 28 as leader of the world's Roman Catholics, saying he doesn't have the strength to carry out his duties.

I wonder if he's going to retire to a condo in Boca Raton?

Wikileaks musta hacked the Vatican servers and got something on him.

OMG! Ya don't think the Catholic Church might be some kinda scam?

Not news you hear everyday. I hope he has a peaceful retirement. Should be interesting.

Forgiveness Man wrote:

Not news you hear everyday. I hope he has a peaceful retirement. Should be interesting.

Shale wrote:

Wikileaks musta hacked the Vatican servers and got something on him.

OMG! Ya don't think the Catholic Church might be some kinda scam?

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)

The man is 85 years old how much longer can he be expected to keep up with all his daily duties? I never understood why they elect Popes so old, why not elect them younger and keep them in term like a President or Mayor this way they don't die in the position or become too frail to do what they do.

And so will start all the ludicrous conspiracy theories. haha There's not enough real drama in the news that people have to make stuff up?

The guy gives me the creeps. It's like browsing the horror section at Blockbuster. Hopefully his successor will be a lot less menacing, both visually and literally.

Impact wrote:

The guy gives me the creeps. It's like browsing the horror section at Blockbuster. Hopefully his successor will be a lot less menacing, both visually and literally.

LOL!!

I wonder how long it will take the media to make the name St. Malachi widely known?

Shale wrote:

Wikileaks musta hacked the Vatican servers and got something on him.

OMG! Ya don't think the Catholic Church might be some kinda scam?

Shale I love you. you know that. And you know that I am very open minded when it comes to sexual orientation... adult consent situations... to each his own. I like being a kinkster you like being a bi.

However... I ask that you show me and others the same respect that i/we show you. Calling my church a scam... is like me saying that homosexuals can be turned straight and homosexuality itself is in essence a scam as well. You have your beliefs which you are entitled to... I have mine. please do not belittle mine, because i do not belittle yours.

Thank you.

Shale wrote:

... OMG! Ya don't think the Catholic Church might be some kinda scam?

Technically, I did not call the catholic church a scam, I was merely asking the question.

(With insinuation of course.)

wants2laugh wrote:

... However... I ask that you show me and others the same respect that i/we show you. Calling my church a scam... is like me saying that homosexuals can be turned straight and homosexuality itself is in essence a scam as well. You have your beliefs which you are entitled to... I have mine. please do not belittle mine, because i do not belittle yours...

However, I will say that it is my opinion that the Catholic Church as with all religions are scams. They have been oppressing ppl for millennia and it is just incredulous that so many still subscribe to such medieval mythology in this age of enlightenment.

Now, I would be the first to respect any others' beliefs, no matter how silly and unfounded they might be and just quietly leave them alone.

But, when they belong to an institution that attacks my beliefs daily and oppresses ppl who do not fit their ideal of righteousness, then that institution and those who support it are not due any more respect than they give.

Sorry, but no apologies here. Glass houses and all that stuff ya know.

In fact, reading a bio of this pope, it seems he was in charge of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when they came out with an anti-gay decree. At the time I did a little political cartoon which was published in several gay papers here in Florida, where we actually still have christian KKK members who wear their dresses & dunce caps.



I'm sure some may find that offensive but both quotes are from the sources depicted. So, if the truth is offensive, then perhaps correcting the problem lies with the church.

[quote="Shale"]

so what you are saying is the church is wrong for attacking you, and you are not wrong for attacking them. that is really a double standard--- one you accuse them of.

Plus, this statement basically just called me an idiot for my silly unfounded beliefs. thanks again shale. i appreciate it.

It is sentiments like this that come from the gay community that wears down its straight supporters. I'm straight, and catholic--- and I support gay rights--- but you just called me silly and unfounded.... so i guess my support of the gay community is also silly and unfounded. really starting to rethink this whole gay pride stuff. thanks for enlightening me.

wants2laugh wrote:

so what you are saying is the church is wrong for attacking you, and you are not wrong for attacking them. that is really a double standard--- one you accuse them of.

Well, maybe the church would be expected to take the high ground, show more tolerance for others, but if it hits me I hit back.

wants2laugh wrote:

Plus, this statement basically just called me an idiot for my silly unfounded beliefs. thanks again shale. i appreciate it.

Normally I don't bring that up. I quietly do not respond to ppl entreating prayer or praising their god. But when pushed by ppl who think their belief in spooks must be accepted by everyone, I have to give my opinion otherwise.

wants2laugh wrote:

It is sentiments like this that come from the gay community that wears down its straight supporters. I'm straight, and catholic--- and I support gay rights--- but you just called me silly and unfounded.... so i guess my support of the gay community is also silly and unfounded. really starting to rethink this whole gay pride stuff. thanks for enlightening me.

I am not a part of the 'gay community' any more than I am part of the 'str8 community.' I am bisexual - I do both. And since I was Atheist before ever discovering my capacity to love men, you might say that sentiment comes from the str8 community.

So, go rethink whatever you want about the 'gay community.' Your feelings of fairness, equality and support should come from your core, not just what is politically correct.

I know there are some gays on this board who are devout catholics. IDK how they justify that dichotomy, but I don't fault them for it if they can. I happen to know lots of gay ex-catholics, which is easier for me to understand.

I'm sure more people are relieved than disappointed. When I was little, I remember Pope John Paul II being revered as a virtual saint. Benedict by comparison seemed viewed as more of a devil posing in a godly position.

CatEyes10736 wrote:

I'm sure more people are relieved than disappointed. When I was little, I remember Pope John Paul II being revered as a virtual saint. Benedict by comparison seemed viewed as more of a devil posing in a godly position.

Everyone who was a loyal Catholic I knew viewed him as quite a holy and humble man. He might have had less of a celebrity status than his predecessor but most of the people who had issues with Pope Benedict XVI were those who seem to have issues with Catholic teachings in general.

Who knows. His successor might make said people long for the days when good ole Papa Benny was pope. I'm curious to see how things unfold. (And then proceed to be amused at how clueless the media coverage of it is. It's truly funny to watch them now.)

I wonder if the Cardinals will give him a gold watch

Ain't he like 109? He shouldn't be working at his age anyway.

I nominate Father Guido Sarducci as a replacement. . .

Shale wrote:

Wikileaks musta hacked the Vatican servers and got something on him. ...

It was just a conjecture when I wrote that. IDK how valid all this is, I edited out the parts that seem to have Anti Pope activism on it and just left the Reuters quotes in. Still, it is a valid point to consider.

Pope Evades Criminal Charges by Hiding in Vatican
February 16, 2013

http://www.politicolnews.com/pope-evades-criminal-charges-by-hiding-in-vatican/

Feb. 16, 2013 Late breaking news on the real reason why Pope Benedict XVI quit the job as Pope is centered around the fact that he was going to be charged for crimes against humanity by shielding pedophile priests in the RC church.

A statement given to Reuters reveals that the Church has decided to grant Joseph Ratzinger immunity against any and all charges involving his protection of known sex offenders.
As a high ranking member of the Catholic Church, Ratzinger knew priests who habitually were reported as sex offenders with children and shipped them to other parishes where they continued raping children.

Even after becoming a Pope as well he protected priests by denying criminal charges.
When he was an archbishop, J. Ratzinger knowingly and willingly protected the criminal priests and thereby avoiding legal and lawful charges against them. Now the church is willfully breaking the law by giving him sanctuary against the law.

In a statement to the press today, the Vatican announced that:
It will give Joseph Ratzinger, formerly Pope Benedict XVI a permanent residency in the Vatican, which gives him legal immunity to any charges against him.
...

“His continued presence in the Vatican is necessary, otherwise he might be defenseless”. By this statement we gather that if Ratzinger steps outside the Vatican perimeter he could be legally arrested and brought to trial for his criminal cover ups. The Roman Catholic Church is basically admitting the former Pope is guilty, they know it and further more they are giving him cover against the authorities.
...

1) (Reuters) "The Vatican has consistently said that a pope cannot be held accountable for cases of abuse committed by others because priests are employees of individual dioceses around the world and not direct employees of the Vatican. It says the head of the church cannot be compared to the CEO of a company.

Victims groups have said Benedict, particularly in his previous job at the head of the Vatican’s doctrinal department, turned a blind eye to the overall policies of local Churches, which moved abusers from parish to parish instead of defrocking them and handing them over to authorities."

2) (Reuters) – Pope Benedict’s decision to live in the Vatican after he resigns will provide him with security and privacy. It will also offer legal protection from any attempt to prosecute him in connection with sexual abuse cases around the world, Church sources and legal experts say.

Trust Me!

Infuriating. Hitch tried to have him arrested several years ago but he escaped justice then as he will now. He will hide like a cockroach until he dies.

I believe this aired on HBO just before the abdication. It's long so this is just the link to Youtube.

Quote :

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all the way to the Vatican.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpDqPucLrtg

If the Catholic Church preaches against homosexuality, then why are so many of them gay and pedophiles? Isn't that like an oxymoron? I'm not sure, but are Catholic priests celibate or some shit when they are in the Church?

Nystyle709 wrote:

If the Catholic Church preaches against homosexuality, then why are so many of them gay and pedophiles? Isn't that like an oxymoron? I'm not sure, but are Catholic priests celibate or some shit when they are in the Church?

I don't have the stats on what percentage of Catholic clergy are gay or pedophiles but I don't think the situation is so much an oxymoron as hypocrisy. Catholic (and Christian) organizations will fire employees at the drop of a hat for not conforming to their standards/code of conduct but try and get a pedophile priest defrocked!

Isn't today the day they're supposed to be assigning a new pope?