Thread: New Pope from Germany

I'm happy with the decision. He's very traditional, so there won't be much (if any) change.

Originally Posted by busyLivin

I'm happy with the decision. He's very traditional, so there won't be much (if any) change.

Don´t you want changes?

I guess we'll see what his agenda will be...

Originally Posted by Jo-Anna

I guess we'll see what his agenda will be...

same as John Paul II's, no doubt. He was his top advisor.. Always stresses that the Church does not bend or change for "fads".

Originally Posted by Vieope

Don´t you want changes?

Couple things I would like changed...

Priests being able to marry (the apostles were all married & that didn't become a rule til the 1500's, I believe).

I would like women to be able to join the priesthood.. really no reason they shouldn't be.

If you're divorced, you're not allowed to re-marry in the Catholic Church... I find that ridiculous.

probably a few more things, but those are off the top of my head.

But overall, I'm very happy with the Church's continued conservatism. They don't bend under pressure. That may turn some people off, but I feel so many things today are accepted just to be politically correct, or because "everybody's doing it"....

He is from Germany, I am not accusing him of anything but when nazism was in its peek, he was a teenager in germany, was he a nazi?

He would have been 18 in 1945, a bit too young for him to have done anything, imo.

I find the church's position on contraception (condoms, etc.) rather absurd. Just saying abstinence has not and will not ever work. It would definitely be an improvement if that attitude was changed.

Originally Posted by busyLivin

Priests being able to marry (the apostles were all married & that didn't become a rule til the 1500's, I believe).

That came about in the middle ages due to the fact that many priests/bishops/cardinals would use the money from the offering to give to their family. Not that the rule stopped many of them, even popes, from having sex anyway....

Can the Pope choose any name he likes or do they assign him one? IF he can choose do they have to give him any name he wants? Could he be Pope Terminator or Pope Jesus?

They should have picked Johnny Damon.

although i am not catholic, i respect many of the catholic teachings and hope your new pope continues the tradionalist views

Originally Posted by MorteSubite

I find the church's position on contraception (condoms, etc.) rather absurd. Just saying abstinence has not and will not ever work. It would definitely be an improvement if that attitude was changed.

If you're talking about within marriage, I agree.. it is foolish.

If you're not, that would not be an improvement, but an accomodation. To ask that would be asking them to condone sex outside marriage, which would be folding to today's pressures... not something the Church is likely to do.

Originally Posted by busyLivin

Priests being able to marry (the apostles were all married & that didn't become a rule til the 1500's, I believe).

Just women or little boys too?


I do agree that the Church should resist change. I think it's traditions are it's appeal. When you say that you are right about something in the past, then say you are wrong in the present, you ruin your street cred.

i think abstinence is an effective way to prevent std's and should be taught as a viable alternative to other things. look at the stats. teenagers are waiting longer to have sex than they were 10 years ago. teenage pregnancies are down compared to what they were in the 90's and it has nothing to do with more kids using condoms. people should look at the percentages of high school virgins. the number is on the incline not the decline.

Im Catholic, and i wish Pope BenedictXVI a great reign. I agree with the points busyLivin made in his earlier posts about things that probably should change, but id say this pope will be very conservative,so i amnt expectin any of the aforementioned changes to be made

If the new pope was from Africa or South America, it would have been interesting to watch that unfold. I think there are a lot more opportunities in those areas that the church could work with opposed to Germany. This seems like a short-term politics-driven (isn't everything...) decision.

@bio-chem
Definitely agree that abstinence is effective in preventing stds and definitely should be taught

@busyLivin
I hope most people can agree with that regarding married couples.

Among others, I am conflicted as to what would produce the most good.

Originally Posted by Celtic Bhoy

Im Catholic, and i wish Pope BenedictXVI a great reign. I agree with the points busyLivin made in his earlier posts about things that probably should change, but id say this pope will be very conservative,so i amnt expectin any of the aforementioned changes to be made

Oh I know they won't change, and like you & Dale said, maybe they shouldn't... those were just three things I'd like to see someday.

I am glad they have made a choice for the simple fact that I am sick of hearing about it, maybe we can now get back to more important things like the Michael Jackson case.

They'll be goose stepping at the Vatican soon.

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Just women or little boys too?

Originally Posted by Vieope

He is from Germany, I am not accusing him of anything but when nazism was in its peek, he was a teenager in germany, was he a nazi?

He was in the German army during WWII, but deserted and was captured by the Americans.

Originally Posted by busyLivin

Oh I know they won't change, and like you & Dale said, maybe they shouldn't... those were just three things I'd like to see someday.

No no, i think that certain things should change, like the things you outlined, but i think female priests should be allowed first of all because thats really pointless in this day and age, and i dont know about the US and other places, but in ireland theres a situation where they expect an insufficient number of priests in the country fairly shortly, but if female priests were allowed it would help alleviate the problem.

Detailed background on Ratzinger in regards to the German military / nazi movement.

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

"When Ratzinger turned 14 in 1941, he was required by law to join the Hitler Youth , but according to his biographer John Allen he was not an enthusiastic member. In 1943, at the age of 16 he was, along with the rest of his class, drafted into the Flak or anti-aircraft corps, responsible for the guarding of a BMW plant outside Munich.

He was then sent for basic infantry training and was posted to Hungary, where he worked setting up anti-tank defences until he deserted in April 1944 (an offence punishable by death). In 1945 he was briefly held in an Allied POW camp. By June he was released, and he and his brother (Georg) entered a Catholic seminary."

Originally Posted by ALBOB

He was in the German army during WWII, but deserted and was captured by the Americans.

Really? WTF.. So he accepted the nazi way of thinking, did he kill any jews? I mean, if he was captured by americans that was in the end of the war, there was plenty of time for him to do something..

well, bad.

Good choice. But there will no doubt be another conclave within the next 10 years.

Originally Posted by busyLivin

same as John Paul II's, no doubt. He was his top advisor.. Always stresses that the Church does not bend or change for "fads".

Exactly. Whether you are religious or not I still dont understand why people expect things to change.

"I want to go fuck my neighbors wife, so why dont you get with the times and make it ok for me to do that!"

Give me a break.

Originally Posted by Celtic Bhoy

but in ireland theres a situation where they expect an insufficient number of priests in the country fairly shortly, but if female priests were allowed it would help alleviate the problem.

Maybe they should become Christian where that isn't a problem, and where a man or woman can marry and still be a pastor if they choose. It says nowhere that you are forbidden to take up a wife and marry if you choose.

Originally Posted by Vieope

Really? WTF.. So he accepted the nazi way of thinking, did he kill any jews? I mean, if he was captured by americans that was in the end of the war, there was plenty of time for him to do something..

well, bad.

V, you're looking for a reason to dislike him...

Originally Posted by Mudge

Maybe they should become Christian where that isn't a problem, and where a man or woman can marry and still be a pastor if they choose. It says nowhere that you are forbidden to take up a wife and marry if you choose.

Huh?i must be pickin this up wrong