dpb

What a palava, they're just swapping one old geezer for an other old geezer , from a room full of out of touch old geezers

What special did this one accomplish anyway??

richs2891

I didn't know they had name a successor yet ?
What has the current (just resigned one) accomplished, probably a mention in the record books for been the first to resign in 600 years ?

Richard

dpb

Thats it ?

Leslie

He did a good job as the Pope. Not his fault that he has become too infirm to continue. He was responsible enough to resign to let someone who is better placed to do the job take over,

What evidence do you have that the cardinals from whom the next Pope will be elected are out of touch?

Les

22BUK

Catholics are out of touch, Les. With reality.

ReallyReallyGoodMeat

One example from the top of my head - they chose someone who thought this was a good idea...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...a-condoms-aids

brendy76

iTrader: (6)

Apparently he had a golden handshake deal with the vatican should he leave his position rather than dying. Personally, I think it was just money for old pope.

ReallyReallyGoodMeat

Nice

Turbohot

Well, he stayed in his costume all the time, which is quite a challenging thing to do. I wonder if he ever wore anything else like James Bond suit or shorts or something? Did he ever do holidays? May be, he did. I don't know.

I also appreciate that he dangled a lovely carpet from the balcony before he turned his back to the public life.

See, some amazing deeds noted^.

Leslie

Apart from being unecessarily unpleasant, your biased remark is innaccurate.

Les

Mouser

Telboy will get you!

mrmadcap

I think there is a major scandal about to break, but the old pope is holed up in the Vatican so will be immune from any investigation or potential prosecution.

Sorry all you Catholics, like all religions, the game is up and you have had your day.

ReallyReallyGoodMeat

Are you on crack or something?!

DYK

He got to drive about in this.

22BUK

The Catholic church is well past its sell-by date, I'm afraid.

Please watch the debate "Is the Catholic church a force for good in the world?" and let us know what you think.

Leslie

He tried to once and failed miserably!

Les

JTaylor

Superb oratory: Hitchens at his best; Fry on fire. The opposition were laughable.

hodgy0_2

yes, very good, always worth another viewing

and reinforces the fact that Catholicism is at odds with the basic tenants of humanity


and that debate was before the Irish government had to apologise for the catholic church running slave labour camps in southern Ireland

complete with physical, sexual and mental abuse

JTaylor

Christ will be decidedly unimpressed.

hodgy0_2

yuh
maybe so

but one of the beauties of Catholicism is that it is perfectly possible to rape children every single day of your life and yet still enter the glory of heaven by confessing your sins and letting Jesus into your life just before you die (or weekly as appropriate)

maybe that is why so many Catholic priest are child abusers, they understand this simple yet powerful “truth”

reboot your humanity on your deathbed (or weekly in confession)

nice gig - for peados and other assorted anti humanists

JTaylor

You appear to have fundamental and extreme views, hodgy, but I'll defend your right to air them.

RA Dunk

It's not 'just' the Catholic church though is it, just about the whole lot of them have their flaws and sections of followers who tend to be 'wired to the moon', I would say the Catholic Church would tend to be the worst out of a bad bunch TBH..

hodgy0_2

tell me what is extreme

dpb

Another one falls on his own todger

Just the tip of the ice berg in all likelihood

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21584820

Leslie

If a person was to follow all the tenets of the Catholic religion without fail, they would do nothing wrong and would lead a blameless life. There is nothing wrong with the way that the religion teaches one how to behave.

It is a fact of course, and the Church realises that perfectly well,and that is that humans are fallible and the likelihood of getting through life following the Church's teachings to the letter just wont happen.

The sacrament of confession is there to enable catholics to make their peace with the Lord having committed sins. For that to be valid however, it is necessary to demonstrate true contrition for the sins which were committed. To act as you say above does not show any kind of contrition and when it came to true forgiveness in the face of deliberately intending to carry out the same sins again as you describe just would not wash of course. That person trying to use that as an excuse would be facing a very difficult time of it in the final reckoning!

Anyone committing such pederasty fully deserves what they get either from the courts of course and also after the last hurrah!

Incidentally, there are not so many child abusing priests as you give the impression of, although it has happened as we know to the shame of the Church. If such a thing happens, it should be fully dealt with in the open rather than attempts at covering it up. That just makes the whole thing worse.

Les

hodgy0_2

a central tenet is that a new born baby is born with sin -- is that correct?

a central tenet is that we are all sinful -- how can we live "blameless" lives

boxst