Pope expiration date

[MelK]

Not to be morbid, but how long do you think he will last?

[Prof. Chaos]

lets not talk about this, okay.

[[censored]]

By the end of the month.

[Alobar]

I dunno how he hasnt died a looooong time ago. Its gunna be sad tho, not cuz the pope is dead, but because south park et all wont be able to rip on the feeble old pope anymore /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[hoyaboy1]

Could someone explain why he doesn't step down (well, figuratively, I'm not sure he can step anywhere anymore)?

Now, I don't know so much about the Pope not being Catholic and all, but isn't it silly that he is keeping hi position despite not being able to do anything? Is something keeping him from stepping down?

[bholdr]

i can't imagine anything quite as sacreligious as gambling on the death of the pope, but i'd do it.

O/U at xmas next year?

he does have the best healthcare on the planet.

[mmcd]

[ QUOTE ]
I dunno how he hasnt died a looooong time ago. Its gunna be sad tho, not cuz the pope is dead, but because south park et all wont be able to rip on the feeble old pope anymore /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

They'll pick a new feeble old pope to replace him.

[MelchyBeau]

[ QUOTE ]
ROME (AFP) - As Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II recovers in a Rome hospital from surgery to alleviate severe breathing problems, Irish bookmakers Paddy Power have begun taking bets on the identity of his successor.

The company has made 70-year-old Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, the Archbishop of Milan, its firm favourite as next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.


Tettamanzi, at 5-2, is ahead of 74-year-old Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, 3-1, and 68-year-old Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino of Cuba, 11-2.


Leading outsiders, according to the bookmakers, are Florence Archbishop Ennio Antonelli, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras -- both 6-1 -- and Cardinals Joseph Ratzinger of Germany and Claudio Hummes of Brazil, both 8-1.


Another Italian Giacomo Biffi, the 76-year-old emeritus archbishop of Bologna, is a 10-1 shot for the papal title.


One of the youngest "papabile", 60-year-old Vienna Archbishop Christoph Schoenborn, is a 12-1 chance, along with Cardinal Angelo Scola, the Patriarch of Venice who is 63.


The pope's secretary of state Cardinal Angelo Sodano, responsible for the day-to-day running of the Church while the pope is incapacitated, is rated only a 16-1 shot for the papal title.


Another dark horse is Indian Cardinal Ivan Dias, the 68-year-old archbishop of Bombay, also on 16-1.


English Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is a 20-1 punt, while Durban Archbishop Wilfried Napier of South Africa, 63, is rated at 33-1.



[/ QUOTE ]

link (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1516&ncid=1516&e=1&u=/afp/20050225/od_afp/vaticanpopesuccession_050225175109)

Melch

[IggyWH]

LOL, I love this!

I'm Catholic, but who really cares about the Pope? Why should anyone care about a bitter old man? He comes out the hospital to bitch at Spain for saying condoms are okay and call gays evil to just land himself back in the hospital.

If I believe in God and Jesus and believe I can speak to them whenever in prayer that I want (like the religion teaches you), then why do I need some old guy telling me what is right and wrong?

[Emmitt2222]

Please do not make ridiculously ignorant comments. Have you ever read anything he has written before? He is brilliant and incredibly loving to everyone. He condemns gay actions, not being gay or gay people themselves. Also in response to a previous post, he does not step down because you are pope unitl you die. When you become the pope you are the spiritual father to the Church and a father can't "step down", he is father until he dies. Even while he is sick he is still sharp mentally and even in his condition he is a better pope than 99% of any healthy preists could be at this point.

[IggyWH]

No need to get into some stupid religious arguement, but simply put, you have your beliefs and I have mine. Just because I say something you don't like to hear doesn't make them "ridiculously ignorant comments".

[Emmitt2222]

[ QUOTE ]
call gays evil

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't want to get in any sort of argument, but this isnt a matter of beliefs, the above is an incorrect statement. I am defending an upstanding individual who has never said anything so harsh. When you state these things as facts you are slandering him. Its as simple as that.

[pokerjo22]

[ QUOTE ]
He condemns gay actions, not being gay or gay people themselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ohhh, well thats ok then.

[Macdaddy Warsaw]

Well, there is a difference. The way RCs run is that sex is an act of procreation and love. If either of those is not in the act, it's not good. Homosexual actions aren't for procreation therefore wrong.

I was raised RC but I'm agnostic at best. I don't agree with the views I'm stating, just letting you know there is a difference. It's not a matter of prejudice against homosexuals.

[mmcd]

What about the priests affinity for young boys?

[Beer and Pizza]

This Pope was a big supporter of the Fatima witnesses. Isn't it ironic that the last of the witnesses just died. It's almost prophetic of the Pope's impending death.

Article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4267515.stm)

[maryfield48]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, there is a difference. The way RCs run is that sex is an act of procreation and love. If either of those is not in the act, it's not good. Homosexual actions aren't for procreation therefore wrong.

I was raised RC but I'm agnostic at best. I don't agree with the views I'm stating, just letting you know there is a difference. It's not a matter of prejudice against homosexuals.

[/ QUOTE ]

Angels dancing on the head of a pin. The effect of the Church's position in the real world is to provide a philosophical/religious justification for prejudice.

[SackUp]

[ QUOTE ]
No need to get into some stupid religious arguement, but simply put, you have your beliefs and I have mine. Just because I say something you don't like to hear doesn't make them "ridiculously ignorant comments".

[/ QUOTE ]

The fact that you say "stupid religious" argument shows that you don't have a very high affinity for your faith. Further, saying "you have your beliefs and I have mine" is very ignorant as well. The Catholic church has certain beliefs and ideals. If you don't believe or agree with them, then you might want to reconsider some things. The statements you said were ignorant if you don't realize this.

[daveymck]

As an atheist Catholic to me it just proves the fact there is no God, if thats the state he lets his voice on earth get into then I would really hate to be someone he doesnt like.

[Jack of Arcades]

Iggy, the current pope is a great man. He has his things I don't agree with, sure, but he's done some great things in his time.

[tek]

Before he dies he should tell all the priests to stop molesting children.

As far as when he dies, the over/under is Sep 05.

[rusellmj]

[ QUOTE ]
The way RCs run is that sex is an act of procreation and love. If either of those is not in the act, it's not good. Homosexual actions aren't for procreation therefore wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

This brought to you by the same organization who brought you the Crusades and excommunicated Galileo for suggesting the earth was round.

With aids and population explosion running rampant in many third world countires, it's too bad they continue to teach these people not to use any form of birth control or protection.

Russ

[Macdaddy Warsaw]

I didn't say it was right. The thing is, every priest in the world will tell you (or at least should tell you) that if you're going to have sex not for procreation, you should use a condom. Every priest that taught me in HS would say that if you asked him. So I don't think it's a matter of being taught to not use protection.

If you want to use that argument you also have to consider the fact that the church teaches monogamy, so AIDS wouldn't spread so rapidly and at most from one person to another, not one person to 100.

The church has also done a lot for the world. 1 billion followers means they did something right, even if it's just bring faith and meaning to people's lives.

And it's not like EVERY priest is a kid toucher. It's a matter of sample size, all you hear about is the kid touchers and not about the people who help in the community.

As I said, I'm not a jesus freak, but I belive the Church has done 90% right and 10% bad. The past is the past and I'm not going to say the Crusades or excommunication of people they disagreed with is right, but it's a long time past and the people who've made those decisions are dead and gone.

All said and done, agree with me or not on what I just said, it's hard to argue that Pope John Paul II is not a great man.

[Richard Tanner]

Having gone to Catholic school for eight years, none of which were spent actually being catholic, the reason is that the Pope isn't allowed to "retire". When you're the pope, you're it until you die.

Cody

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
Also in response to a previous post, he does not step down because you are pope unitl you die. When you become the pope you are the spiritual father to the Church and a father can't "step down", he is father until he dies.

[/ QUOTE ]

Benedict IX held the papacy three different times. Popes can resign and be relected. This Pope can resign if he chooses.

Stu

[Broken Glass Can]

[ QUOTE ]

Benedict IX held the papacy three different times. Popes can resign and be relected. This Pope can resign if he chooses.

Stu

[/ QUOTE ]

To do so cheapens the position, just as does a king abdicating. This position is supposed to be for life, there is no real requirement that you always be healthy enough to do the job. You have regents for the ill king, and a designated cardinal or two for the ill pope.

Resigning under political or military pressure (like Henry VI or Edward VIII and several Popes in the Middle Ages) is a different thing entirely.

[MelK]

I am amazed that more than half of us give him at most two months to live. Is it really that bad?

[Beerfund]

but the Pope died 2 years ago and the church has been applying the " Weekend at Bernies" method to make him appear to still be alive until someone else gets old enough to replace him, because you can't become pope until you are old enough to die at any minute.

[threeonefour]

um, historically popes have stepped down before haven't they? i am not a scholar on this sort of stuff but i am almost certain they have... in which case, most of your post is invalid [ QUOTE ]

Please do not make ridiculously ignorant comments. Have you ever read anything he has written before? He is brilliant and incredibly loving to everyone. He condemns gay actions, not being gay or gay people themselves. Also in response to a previous post, he does not step down because you are pope unitl you die. When you become the pope you are the spiritual father to the Church and a father can't "step down", he is father until he dies. Even while he is sick he is still sharp mentally and even in his condition he is a better pope than 99% of any healthy preists could be at this point.

[/ QUOTE ]

oh i just found it, you are wrong... http://www.saginaw.org/untener/writings/americaarticle.htm

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I dunno how he hasnt died a looooong time ago.

[/ QUOTE ]

He did. They just forgot to tell him...

[Grisgra]

[ QUOTE ]
but the Pope died 2 years ago and the church has been applying the " Weekend at Bernies" method to make him appear to still be alive until someone else gets old enough to replace him, because you can't become pope until you are old enough to die at any minute.

[/ QUOTE ]

That gets my vote.

[MelK]

Well 18 of you picked April (out of 73) and were right.

18 of you picked March (and you were close - within 2 days)

So half of us are good guessers. /images/graemlins/smile.gif