New Pope

[Redshoeblueshoe]

Wow that was fast

Baptism can be performed by a lay person in an emergency only e.g if the person is dying

Also do we think every cardinal already knows what their papal name would be if they were ever to be elected pope? They must have thought about that in advance too. Otherwise they'd have a panic on, oops, I've been elected pope, need to be on the balcony in less than an hour and don't know what name to take, oh, I know I'll be Gregory (or whoever). And yet there's always an explanation by the pope later as to why he chose the name he did.

I'm sure most do even if they don't seriously think they'd stand a chance - but like when we can have a name all picked out for a baby and then when you hold them for the first time something completely different and perfect comes to you, I reckon the moment they're asked 'Quo nomine vocaberis?', some have a moment of (yes, I'm gonna say it) Divine Inspiration.

Are you sure?

It's a huge responsibility. Tears of relief at being elected if the chosen one has been ambitious and was hoping for it, I guess. Or tears of dread at what's ahead if they weren't expecting to be picked.
I'd not thought about the first address. How do you write something coherent when your brain must be full of what just happened to you?

I am not Catholic but it seems to me that Catholics are perfectly aware that the Pope gets to live in a expensive building, celebrate ceremonies in a expensive building and gets to wear some expensive clothes while performing his official duties. If they're happy with this, good on them, it's their choice.

I feel that people who criticise this think it's odd to spend money on anything other than their own house, and are confusing self-interest with morals. Also I expect they support charity a good deal less than the Catholic Church does for all their claims of hypocrisy.

Seemingly, the MAGA faithful believe he is a Woke Marxist Pope!

This open bigotry against Americans is extremely disturbing. It does smack of historic anti-semitism, where a group is targeted for dehumanization just because of the power and influence they accrue. What if I held my nose whenever mentioning British people, and spoke of them as if everyone knew they were disgusting, dumb inbreds? You’d probably have an issue.

…do you not understand how American nationality works? Americans are an amalgam of ethnicities. His families roots are 200+ years in the U.S., in New Orleans, he’s of Italian, French, and Spanish descent, and he’s also Louisiana Creole, so mixed black.

He did not “leave America” for 40 years

I appreciate your strength of feeling, but people have every reason to be pretty pissed off at the way the United States has behaved over the last 25 years, let alone recently. Now big tech forces every American neurosis and obsession into our brains. There is no escape.

The world needs voices from other places at the top.

That is the American view of themselves, but it's not universally shared. The fact that you assume it's normative is precisely why we need fewer Americans influencing the world. I very much hope the Pope's Peruvian experience is what influences him most. I don't think his various ancestries are of any significance.

Also, you should apologise for your comparison of anti-Semitism with the criticism of Americans on this thread. It's serious main character syndrome. No one has killed 6 million Americans in death camps.

@statnoise26 - I do understand mainly how you get American citizenship, and some slight US history, though I didn't know this Pope's full background- thank you that was informative.
But I'm sorry I came over as ignorant or rude to US citizenship - I'd just been reading about why a US Pope was unusual, and found those reasons which interested me (I would have thought the distinctly different bases of power would make it not matter) so I then thought I'd add in here why there's possibly not been one before, and possibly why it didn't apply with Pope Leo for discussion.
Apologies again.

I think we should recognise that at least 45% of people who vote in the US did not vote for whoever was chosen as President. Don't blame all people from the US for the nasty things done by their government.

In the same way I hope I and all the 48% who voted Remain are not blamed for Brexit.

It's not blaming Americans to say that we already have enough powerful Americans, which was my point.

Yes they do. Each Cardinal chooses thier popeliness name before they enter the Conclave. I'm not Catholic but I do know this much is accurate.

I don't think his various ancestries are of any significance.

I think the poster who spoke of his ancestry was responding to the poster who said "apparently his parents were French/Italian so it's considered ok." His parents were born in the US so they were not French or Italian. They had that ancestry. He also has New Orleans Creole ancestry.

And also his various ancestries may not have any significance in the countries from which is family originated in Europe and Africa, but I can assure you that they have significance to many Americans.

He is obviously a global figure who has spent a significant part of his life outside the US. I think his choice not to speak any words in English during his first appearance underlined that. But when he opened his homily the next day in English and displayed a mild Chicago accent, it actually seemed a bit jarring at first, but it really brought home to Americans that he is a Midwesterner after all, hailing from the region we call the "heartland." It will be interesting to see how that plays out during his papacy.

There is a statement in this article from an investigative journalist who doeaks about his record on this.

She suggested that a cult he closed down are responsible for some kind of smear campaign

Yes it would be a bit much so say ' Congratulations you're Pope. You have half an hour to come up with an appropriate name!

😆

Come on, most of the cardinals in the running will have been dreaming of this for years, like mooning teenagers practising their 'married' signature with the last name of the boy they fancy.

He totally already knew his name. 😂

I’ve got my papal name picked and I’m a woman. 🤣

Will be watching Conclave soon.

I read and watched Angels & Demons (by Dan Brown) which featured a Conclave.

Please tell us what it is! Is it Joan? There's some kind of precedent for Joan as a PayPal name.