Cowboy Caleb the liberal arts, grown-up stuff & random mischief

Habemus Papem!

Habemus Papem! (We have a Pope!)

Hail Pope Benedict XVI.

I don’t care about the fact that you’re a german (those nasty stereotypes no longer hold), or that you’re a bit too conservative for comfort. I just really think that at 78 years, you’re a bit too old for the job. But I submit to your authority anyway.

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I share the same sentiments. If bishops in general need to retire by 80, I believe that the same should apply to the Bishop of Rome. I was seeking a Pope who is closer to the people (pastoral focus) than a intellectual bureaucrat who had been working in the Vatican for over 20 years. But I’ll submit to your authority.

according to some he’s the in-between guy, kinda like the guy/girl you date in between serious relationships. His old age guarantees a short term….other than that, dun know much about it except that it is “habemus papAm” dude, where you been during latin class???

I too felt he was quite old, thus maybe the decision in being called Benedict the 16th.

But since he was seen as an enforcer of much of Pope John Paul II, it wouldnt be much of a transition in policies that the church was trying to promote, i guess the hardliner approach was because he was the head of the congregation of faith, his papacy might take him in different directions.

saying that, its always exciting to see what the new pope have up his sleeves for us 1.1 billion roman catholics

I hope this old pope comes down hard on AIDS. The vatican has been ignoring it for far too long.

Not only is he German, he’s ex Hitler Youth and to some people, those sterotypes still hold very strong.

yes, well Paul the apostle was also a freaking nazi. But he did have a change of heart.

At the time, membership was compulsive and he was barely a teenager - also it makes a difference if you’re a member of the party or a member of the “youth organization” that enrolls you wether you want it or not. I don’t think that is an argument to hold against him cause just about *any* person from germany that age can be related to Hitler if you want to find the connection…be it themselves personally or a distant family member.

according to this article, he was an unenthusiastic member of the german army

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI

But I submit to your authority anyway.

Hear, hear! For all that people have said about him, we must not forget that he is still the one that has been chosen by God. As a Catholic, it is always nice to hear another Catholic voice on the internet.

By the way, I enjoyed your link to the NYT article about the papal tailors. Thanks for sharing :)

There are those who would say his family connections enabled him to be posted to cushy (by 1943 German standards) postings instead of being sent straight into the Eastern Front like so many others.

And then there are those who say he can’t possibly have a change of heart because he’s anti relativism.

Then again, you can’t satisfy everyone. But relax, I’m not stereotyping Germans. I’m not even Catholic.

p.s. if only they had blogs back then to record the ‘private’ thoughts and ramblings of a 16 yr old Ratzinger back when he was not yet in a position of power, we might be having yet another blogospheric event now… or maybe not…

well he’s the Pope now, so until he drops dead - even if he asks us to do something stupid like declare war on the mormons, I might have to obey.

Well I was not intending to defend him anyways cause I am not defending someone’s reputation who thinks homosexuality and all those issues are a crime or “illness” etc. and neither am I Catholic. I just am allergic to always drawing Hitler connections…coz like I said you can find them in any german’s past.