The smoke is white....

[AuntyQuated]

they have a pope

And his first full day on the job will be Hitler's birthday!

(Only a total anorak would notice that of course)

I wanted an African Pope.

We're doomed.

Oh sod

Not defending him in the least but everyone in Germany had to be in the Hitler Youth at the time, so that's hardly his fault.

Not but it's still worth bringing up for comedy purposes.

The BBC quotes UK CHIEF RABBI JONATHAN SACKS as saying "...We hope that he will continue along the path of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II in working to enhance relations with the Jewish people and the State of Israel."

And JURANDIR ARAUJ, NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF BRAZILIAN BISHOPS as saying, "Hopefully the Holy Spirit can help him change."

Apparently he is the oldest man to be elected Pope (I am currently stalking through all the Catholic chatboards).

Actually it's more accurate surely to say that of those Germans of that generation who survive most of them had to join the Hitler Youth. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (born 1906), to take another German Christian (albeit non-Catholic) example, didn't.

Personally I quite fancy a spot of autoerotic spirituality, though.

thought he was sixty-something ks?

Guess they didn't want someone hanging around as long as PJP2 did. At 78 the consolation has got to be he can't surely be here too long. Old JP had it rigged, man! He made all the front runners cardinals because of their similar views to his to ensure another hardline stance. I too would've preferred to have seen an African Pope.
But they'll have to change and move with the times eventually because they'll become so far removed from the public that they won't represent them at all.
mp I admire your views on this!

JP2 was 58

Otherwise JP2 would have been 105 this year...

He DID look it...

Doesn't Ratzinger look TALL and YOUNG in comparison? He looks like someone going to a fancy dress party as the Pope....

Ooh blimey!
I've never heard of Buddhism described like that before!!
Anyone know how you sign up to that?

I didn't see the news but dh said it was hysterical watching all these reporterss who know nothing about any kind of religion trying to think of something appropriate to say!

Off topic but I just saw this quote on a Catholic chatboard which mad me laugh:

"the Anglican Communion has a confused, liberal Druid as its Archbishop"

(There are lots of topic on Catholic talkboards tonight which have the subject "The Anglican Communion Welcomes You!" which also made me laugh.)

The new Pope is German

does that mean he got his towel on the balcony first ?

I just thought "God help us" and "Can't believe he's taken one of the names we had thought of for a potential DS3"

(I am a very practising Catholic BTW who hopes and prays that the Holy Father may be taken to his heavenly reward earlier rather than later)

LGJ

pmsl LGJ

LOL LGJ!

LJG:

Tommy: lol at heavenly reward! Benedict was also on our shortlist for no. 2... thank goodness we didn't have one last year, I'd be kicking myself!

(I actually found myself lying in bed last night thinking that maybe I really HAD got the whole God thing wrong after all ... )

Mine was one of whose faces fell when the announcement was read.

Lovely, just what was needed: the Michael Howard of Catholicism. Could have been worse, the two Italian candidates were reminiscent of the de Medici family. But . . . sigh.

He's a bit younger than JPII, but he looks pretty spry.

Let's hope all the good work JPII did on the diplomatic front doesn't go to waste.