The smoke is white....

[AuntyQuated]

they have a pope

Sky News has just announced the new Pope's nickname - Papa Ratzi!! Get it?!?!?

TOTALLY GUTTED.

If I wasn't pregnant, I'd be getting very very drunk.

First Bush, now Ratzinger - let's hope Howard doesn't make it a hat-trick...

that's pants. i wanted (at least) a black pope, if not a woman

Still he's 78 - JP was 84 when he died - so he 'might' not be around long.......

I was hoping for a gunshot when he appeared on the balcony.

Stupid anti-terrorist drives...

steady on, mp!

This is freaky! The guy on the St Malachy site predicted that Ratzinger would be the next Pope because Malachy called John Pauls' successor "Gloria Olivae," or "glory of the olive".

"Malachy's description may refer to St. Benedicts 6th century prophecy that a member of his order will lead the Church in its fight against evil just before the Apocalypse. The Benedictine Order is known by another name: Olivetans."

Thank God I bought a large box of Black Magic this afternoon.

I will be working my way through the second layer by the time dd is in bed...

Oh yes, it wasn't Nostradamus at all (he spouted some twaddle about the pope moving to america and an anti-pope living in the vatican). It was St Malachy who said there would be 112 popes. JP was 110 so there's this new chap and another one. The very last one will be called Peter, apparently.

sick sick sick posts

He was the obvious candidate - it's still a tragedy for the church and the world.

But I did make my friend put a tenner on him at William Hill a couple of weeks ago when he was 7-1.

He's a sick sick sick candidate Fairyfly. He's the hardest of hardliners against homosexuals and women that the Vatican has seen for about 100 years. I think anyone of a remotely compassionate mindset who's studied his career would feel fairly depressed today.

Why 'sick' fairyfly?

hopefully he'll kick the bucket in a few years.

I cannot beleive that this man is God's choice.

Sorry, but he calls gays evil, where is the Christian love in that?

Homosexuality is an "intrinsic moral evil" - guess who coined that catchphrase?

nerdgirl

still prefer Pope Sicola though

gosh are you catholics? and you're wishing someone dead? that is shocking!

I'm not catholic.

you haven't wished him dead either!

true

Just doubted that the cardinals have listened to the voice of God when making their choice!

Well im a practicing Catholic and I am Shocked and sickened by some of your posts. I find them offensive to be honest
Ok you don't agree with the choice but wishing him dead

Last year the Guardian referred to his work as "shocking and cruel".

In 1992 he stated that basic human rights should be denied for gay people! Nice one Joe.

Ooh he's lovely. And don't get me started on all the millions of people in Africa who will continue to die from AIDS while the Vatican continues to prevent Catholic aid agencies from effecting AIDS education.

(I'm sure there are plenty of people who'd have preferred George Bush to have passed away peacefully in his sleep (of course!) a couple of years ago if it prevented all the thousands of innocent war victims from dying during his presidential reign...)

i was appalled at the last pope's stance on condoms wrt the developing world/hiv/aids ie that he was directly responsible for the deaths of many many people. this one will be no better. apparently there is a cardinal who advocates that people with hiv can use a condom to protect their partner (can't remember his name)