Benedicto XVI

Hr77 says on Apr 19, 2005, 11:14:

Hey, I buy into that. If this is the last Pope, and the guy is 78 years old..........

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ColombianoX says on Apr 19, 2005, 11:30:

Miguel,

I think this is a great moment that we catholics are living. Since I'm under thirty years of age, this is the first time I'm experiencing the election of a new Pope and it's really exciting. I was hoping for a colombian Pope (of course), but I think Benedict XVI will be a good Pope. What a good time to be German, they have a Pope and next year they'll host the World Cup!

BTW, he speaks ten languages!

Saludes,

ColombianoX

ColombianoX 'Defensor de la Colombianidad'

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Apr 19, 2005, 11:48:

I'd preferred anybody else but not the German. But did they listen to me?
Cheers,
Desi

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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arturo says on Apr 19, 2005, 11:48:

ratzinger profile from financialTimes Profile: Cardinal Ratzinger
Hugh Williamson in Berlin
Published: April 19 2005 17:53 | Last updated: April 19 2005 19:25


Joseph Ratzinger, once described himself as "shy and unpractical". Yet the 78-year-old German cardinal has had a greater impact on Catholicism and the church's role in the world than almost any modern Catholic leader - with the obvious exception of late Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger's long-time mentor and religious ally.

Cardinal Ratzinger was brought by John Paul II to Rome in 1981 to lead the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and thereby to act as chief guardian of Catholic orthodoxy.

He has served unwaveringly as enforcer of Catholic doctrines and defender of deeply conservative values, laying down strict interpretations of religious teachings, excommunicating left-wing theologians and speaking out against divorce, gay marriage and much else besides.

The choice of the silver-haired, mild-mannered German is certainly controversial. Ahead of the conclave supporters of the cardinal argued that he represented continuity with the late Pope's conservative agenda and with his concentration of power in the Vatican.

They pointed to his intellectual and theological brilliance (he has written over 40 books), his linguistic skills (he speaks ten languages) and stressed that - despite charges of being the Pope's 'Grand Inquisitor', or even 'God's Rottweiler'- he is in fact a warm-hearted, spiritual man.

Critics argued that the cardinal would do little to heal wounds within the international church movement, and that he was far from the modernising force needed by Catholics in the twenty-first century. They also argued that he is uncharismatic, lacks leadership skills, and - despite being the ultimate Vatican insider - has never shown great interest in Rome's inner administrative workings.

Unlike Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger is unloved in his native country, where many ordinary German Catholics resent his hard-line stance against women priests and the involvement of lay congregations in church affairs, and his unwillingness to tackle the priest shortage that plagues many parishes.

The cardinal has not always held such conservative views, but, according to his older brother Georg, 81, even as a small child Joseph knew his goal in life. Following the visit of a German cardinal to their kindergarten, Joseph exclaimed: "I'll also become a cardinal", according to Georg.

As if inspired by this early encounter, Cardinal Ratzinger moved quickly to become Germany's most prominent twentieth century Catholic figure. Born on April 16 1927 in Marktl am Inn, a village of 2700 people on the Austrian border east of Munich, he was made a priest in 1951 - in a joint ceremony with his brother Georg - and a theology professor in Freising, near Munich, at the tender age of 31.

Before that, the 14-year old Joseph was briefly a member of Hitler's youth organisation when membership became compulsory in 1941. He received dispensation to leave shortly afterwards because he was training in a seminary. He later enrolled in an anti-aircraft unit protecting a factory, but deserted in 1944, spending a few weeks in a prisoner of war camp.

He has said in subsequent interviews that although he opposed the Nazis it was not possible to resist openly - a point contended by some historians.

Once appointed a professor his academic career blossomed, taking in positions in Bonn, Tübingen and Regensburg. In his early years of teaching he promoted an opening of the Catholic church, arguing the church was too centralised and controlled by the Vatican (in later life he removed passages containing such views from books he wrote at the time).

The trigger for the shift in Cardinal Ratzinger's thinking towards a more conservative theological approach was largely the 1968 student uprisings in Europe, when - despite his relatively progressive views - he was attacked by left-wing students in lecture halls for being too conservative. After this he became an opponent of, as he put it, the "uncritical opening of the church to the world and to the spirit of the times".

In 1977 he was made archbishop of Munich and Freising, and in the same year was made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI. Despite his substantial achievements until then, his transfer to Rome in 1981 marked the turning point in his career, enabling him to work closely with the Pope, with whom he usually spoke in private conversations in German. In 2002 he was chosen to head of the cardinals' organisation in the Vatican.

Cardinal Ratzinger, who suffers from ill-health, has said in recent interviews that he was looking forward to retiring in order to write more books.

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arturo says on Apr 19, 2005, 11:51:

you will note he belongs to H you will note he belonged to Hitler's youth squads...

what about a merger between AUC & Opus Dei?

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santiBOG says on Apr 19, 2005, 13:41:

Good idea arturo, I don't think the AUC would go for it though.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Apr 19, 2005, 13:58:

Vis a Vis Latin America I predict that this pope leads even more Latin American Catholics to convert to other churches and religions.

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kernow62 says on Apr 19, 2005, 14:09:

Was there any other option but to be part of Hitler's youth squads, I mean was it strictly voluntary or were there other options? One could hardly condemn the man for being part of something that wasn't voluntary (if that was indeed the case).

I am not Catholic, but I wouldn't hold it against someone, people make mistakes, people can change.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Apr 19, 2005, 14:20:

Was it strictly voluntary? I agree that a lot can change about a person in 60-years, too. But in answer to your question whether participation in Nazi groups was voluntary, I cite the case of my great uncle who spent the war sitting in a German jail as a conscientious objector. It was voluntary if you had the moral fortitude to stand up to a vastly popular movement. They didn't execute or torture conscientious objectors or anything.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Apr 19, 2005, 14:26:

He got his reward He actually got his reward. He spent the war practicing the violin in his cell and later went on to be a very successful professional musician.

That, and what must have been his pride at being one of the few Germans who saw Hitler for what he was and had the balls to stand up to the regime, even if only passively.

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utopiacowboy says on Apr 19, 2005, 14:36:

What a disaster. The college of cardinals is heavily loaded towards Europe even though very few Europeans are Catholic any more. Meanwhile, Latin America with 46% of the world's Catholics has very few cardinals. It's a raw deal. Then they wonder why Latin Americans are switching to evangelical Protestantism.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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utopiacowboy says on Apr 19, 2005, 14:54:

We used to call them penguins.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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adela says on Apr 19, 2005, 15:18:

I would prefer a pope that invites all the catholics to read and practice what the bible says and could advice his followers to focus in love, forgivenes and Jesus as the only way to go to the Father. Of course, if we believe that there is a Father up there..

Màs fe, màs abrazos, màs besos, màs disculpas, màs visitas a nuestros amigos antiguos nos haràn màs plenos cada vez.

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Neonovo says on Apr 19, 2005, 15:51:

The Popeless and the Popefuls... The Popeless and the Popefuls...
Cuando miro la TV, y toda la muchedumbre encantada con el proceso del conclave, me acuerdo de las muchedumbres italianas que he visto en blanco y negro encantadas con Mussolini, o peor las alemanas encantadas con su lider tan carismático...
Me parece que estos católicos, buscando lider, queriendo ser parte de lo que sería algo histórico, estarían en mejor camino si su orientación personal fuera diferente, y su enfoco espiritual a algo más cerca de ellos mismo.
No hay semana santa; todas las semanas lo son. No hay redentor; nunca fue necesario. No habrá juicio final. Nuestra consiencia es nuestro juicio, no final, sino constante, máximo, y único juez. No hay ni pecado original ni trinidad. Solo invenciones humanas, evolucionadas hasta el punto de convertirse en estratagemas diseñados para ser explotadas por aquellos que más provecho saben sacarles, y quienes para ponerse en esa posición my alegremente se adhieren a cualquier sistema aunque este sea patriarca, obsoleto y muy falto de sentido comun.
Soon the Hopeless will no longer be Popeless and Popefuls in the wings waiting will all be Poped out but One.
One good thing about the Conclave: Considering that the act of voting is fraught with fruad, corruption, generally a farse designed to mislead the masses into believing that they too matter, one good thing about the conclave, is that after two thousand years, the votes the cardinals engage in may be one of the fairest elections around. As stated somewhere on the Internet, the vote procedure of the conclave has a very good thing going in its favor. The voters all know each other, and "The chapel is cleared and locked before voting. No one is going to dress up as a cardinal and sneak into the Sistine Chapel."
Paz
Neonovo

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dwmte says on Apr 19, 2005, 16:54:

i am catholic and he is my pope.... i will not judge him before i know him. i will certainly not judge him by what others puke out of themselves. hardly.

if pope john paul II brought him specifically to be his personal theological confidant, that in and of itself says much about the man, his capacity and his character.

he is now in a different role than that dictated by pope john paul. for his predecessor, he was the 'enforcer' of the doctrin. as the pope, he himself has said, "i am a humble servant in the vinyard of the LORD".

like the above poster said. i hope he is a teacher of the teachings of our LORD, JESUS CHRIST. that above church doctrin.

dw

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bellaluna says on Apr 19, 2005, 17:27:

Great reply It IS shocking.

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miamimike says on Apr 19, 2005, 19:55:

Odd Choice Considering.... the areas of Growth such as Africa and the areas where the Church is hemorraging memebers such as Latin America. I would have thought that one of the Black Cardinals or one from Latin AMerica such as the Honduran Cardinal (for his charisma, intelligence and Langauge skills) would have been a shoe-in. Big Surprise for sure.

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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platano says on Apr 19, 2005, 20:55:

Opus Dei, Colombia, and the New Pope Opus Dei is strong in Colombia. Does anyone know the Pope's position toward Opus Dei?

Plátano X, Platano, Plátano
DISCLAIMER: I have recently been diagnosed with dissociative personality disorder. ¡Tenga piedad!

plátano

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platano says on Apr 19, 2005, 21:06:

Since approximately half the Colombian population.... consists of beautiful and intelligent women, and women hold up half the sky, it does concern me a bit that no woman was allowed to take part in the choosing of the pope nor are women in Colombia allowed to become cardinals to take part in future elections.

This was my beef with the FARC, too. No women in the top leadership. Women are very special beings who have so much to contribute if men would just allow them.

Plátano X,
Platano,
Plátano
DISCLAIMER: I suffer dissociative personality disorder. ¡Ten piedad!

plátano

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utopiacowboy says on Apr 19, 2005, 21:49:

From what I've read the FARC have special "jobs" for women to perform.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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arturo says on Apr 19, 2005, 23:13:

opus dei & pope considering JP2 boosted the opus dei during his mandate and ratzinger being his closest soulmate, you know ratzinger's positions.

is uribe an opus dei clown? I read Aznar, ex-spanish Premier, is.

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ElCheAmericano says on Apr 20, 2005, 07:05:

10 Languages Shit If I lived 78 years on this earth without any pussy I think I would speak 10 languages also. No Disrespect to any of you catholics out there.

Peace

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platano says on Apr 20, 2005, 07:28:

Che, can you.... Imagine knowing pick up lines in ten languages....

Plátano X,
Platano,
Plátano
DISCLAIMER: I suffer dissociative personality disorder. ¡Ten piedad!

plátano

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ElCheAmericano says on Apr 20, 2005, 07:39:

Yeah Platano But It would be nice but then the problem with that would be being turned down in 10 different languages.

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platano says on Apr 20, 2005, 07:41:

Divide the rejection up among the various..... personalities...oooops, I forget not everyone is as fortunate as I am!

Plátano X,
Platano,
Plátano
DISCLAIMER: I suffer dissociative personality disorder. ¡Ten piedad!

plátano

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utopiacowboy says on Apr 20, 2005, 07:41:

A few good old Ben Franklins pasted to your forehead are a universal language.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Neonovo says on Apr 20, 2005, 14:55:

An Vatican analyst states... The choice is a transitional one. To me, it means they don't expect Benedicto to last; and chosing a young wipper-snapper is out of the quetion. That would deny the other Pope-wanna-bes the chance to ascend to the throne of omnipotence, where such illustrious edicts such as "Thou shall not masturbate" may be issued under all types of pomp and circunstance. (No matter you can't have a wife either)
Paz
Neonovo

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platano says on Apr 20, 2005, 21:31:

Una pregunta, UTC says, "From what I've read the FARC have special "jobs" for women to perform."

But are the women on top?

plátano

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dwmte says on Apr 21, 2005, 06:28:

platano.... of course they are....don't tell me you're in the dark about who runs the show in colombia...from casa narino to el campo? maybe even your bedroom...

but none of ya'll should feel shy...i know exactly how it is. i live in the middle of it! help!

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platano says on Apr 21, 2005, 07:16:

DW, my friend, Of course I am in the dark.... and lovin' every minute of it!

Concerning who runs the show in Colombia I would appreciate your input on a forum topic I created in Politics threads called "Woman President in Colombia?"

Platano, with faulty lighting fixtures

plátano

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arturo says on Apr 21, 2005, 07:46:

neonovo,

JP2 and his cloned clown are subtile minds & use to think deeply:

although general non-reproductive sexual activities are leathal sins, if you have the Faith you can party happily with little boys & girls: their Innocence will be your Forgiveness! Amen

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Neonovo says on Apr 21, 2005, 09:22:

Slap in the face of decent poeple, catholic or otherwise. The Boston cardinal was appointed by his cohorts to give the farewell mass at the Vatican. Some active US catholics took that as a slap in their face, as they have placed responsibility on that very same cardinal, for the impunity with which that Boston priest was able to carry on his evil acts for so many years.
You may remember the good cardinal saw to it that the priest be moved from parish to parish as a way to absocond him from any repercussions.
The cardinal's colleages decided to show some support for their Boston counterpart, and annointed him with the privilege of saying that Mass.

I don't make an effor to remember any names, when I read about catholic shenanigans; I no longer view that organization as a useful venue for human progress. I do admire all individuals who, regardless of their relationship with the catholic church -like Camilo Torres for example- work for peace, and the more so when they have personally evolved above the dogma that dogs most catholics.
This not-so-sublte manner to "rub-it-in" remaninds me of my exwife, católica empederninda, who NEVER failed to attend mass any day it was "required". She also has a very nasty way to "rub-it-in", and took advantage of every opportunity to do so.
Basically, the catholic hierarchy decided to tell US catholics and the world at large, that they are untouchable by such mundane concerns such as child-sexual abuse.
Paz
Neonovo

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platano says on Apr 21, 2005, 09:55:

Remember Monsenor Gaitan Mahecha? Neonovo,

I agree with you completely. And when they are "pillados" the church conveniently reassigns them to another country to avoid prosecution.

Didn't this happen with Monsenor Gaitan Mahecha. I think he had the pleasure of being moved to Germany after getting caught stealing funds from the "Programa de Acción Social para la Comunidad" in Bogota.

In the USA I think the organized crime RICO statutes have been used because the church is using organized crime tactics of moving assets (priests) to avoid prosecution.

Platano

plátano

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