HABEMVS PAPAM

[F L E S H]

Well, it's official. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has been elected pope. He has taken the name of Benedict XVI. He is rumoured to be a very conservative, fundamentalist person. However, he was also John Paul II's right hand man, so he might prove to be similar to him in terms of policies and doctrine.

What do you think of the pope?

[juggalo420]

proberly a good decision, but i would have choose a pope from the 3rd world (either latin america or africa) considering the majority of catholics aint european or of european decent any more.

just a side thought- people in 3rd world countries tend to be alot more religious, whether musslim or chiristian really doesnt matter, and they have a lower standard of living and a bullshit educational system if they have one at all. so it appears to me that ignorance and a wish for an easier life is directly related to religious faith, that would be why we in america and western europe are becoming less and less religious per capita because we are educated and have a considerably easier life than some peasants in the 3rd world.

[amsterdam]

they call him GOD'S Rotweiller.i think it was a good choice,if the number of catholics is getting lower in europe wouldnt you want a pope who speaks the same languages and cultures??i would.

[F L E S H]

Yeah, I think they elected this guy to promote Catholicism in Europe, where it's slipping away to nothingness. I think that when this guy dies, then we'll have a Latin American pope, or an African one.

As for that 3rd world comment, I think there's some truth to that. But I think it's also due to the fact that a lot of 3rd world governmemts are completely worthless and often repressive. In a community where the secular law is lacking or hostile, the people have no choice but to turn to religion for solace. Just something to think about, not sure if I'm completely right about that... :D

[amsterdam]

i really doubt if the next pope will be black or south american.i could care less but i dont see it happening.

[F L E S H]

i really doubt if the next pope will be black or south american.i could care less but i dont see it happening.
I think it will happen, not necessarily next time, but eventually, I think within the next 50 years

[amsterdam]

that would be cool,did you know the pope was once a hitler youth?not by choice but he was.kinda cool.he ditched in the war and was a pow

[Marko123]

He was a membar of Hitler's youth in WWII. Enough said!

[amsterdam]

ohhhhhhhhh pleaseeeeeeeee!you had to at his age.

[Marko123]

Why didn't his family leave when everything was hitting the fan if they didn't condone
the government's view? And, don't tell me they could not leave because they could.
For that matter, the Catholic Church didn't do much, if anything, to stop the hatred against the Jews at that time.

[F L E S H]

Why didn't his family leave when everything was hitting the fan if they didn't condone
the government's view? And, don't tell me they could not leave because they could.
For that matter, the Catholic Church didn't do much, if anything, to stop the hatred against the Jews at that time.
Ok, so as soon as your country goes to war, you leave? That's the stupidest comment I've read... And you had no choice to join the Hitler Youth. It's like mandatory Boy Scouts.

[amsterdam]

not to mention he deserted the army.hitler youth my ass.

[F L E S H]

not to mention he deserted the army.hitler youth my ass.
Correct, he deserted and was even a POW for a little while...

[amsterdam]

a good man,brave,as soon as people see that the hype is crap the story will go away,like the italian "journalist"

[Marko123]

No I wouldn't leave my country as soon as it went to war. But, if my government started rounding up, oh say the Jewish population, and then systematically started murdering them well, I have to say, I would leave. As for being forced to be in the Hitler youth, that did not come until later in the war.

[Marko123]

No I wouldn't leave my country as soon as it went to war. But, if my government started rounding up, oh say the Jewish population, and then systematically started murdering them well, I have to say, I would leave. As for being forced to be in the Hitler youth, that did not come until later in the war.

P.S. you made me cry when you said my comment was stupid.
Nah, just "funnin" Ya

None of this stuff matters anyway because what do we know anyway? Like the song goes "God only knows. God makes his plans. The information is not available to the mortal man. We work our jobs, collect our pay. We think we are driving down the highway when in fact we are slip sliding away" Paul Simon

So peace to you and yours. Maybe we will meet when the four horseman come. Speaking of which, when do you think that will be? Before we kick?

M.

[F L E S H]

People didn't know Jews were being shipped to gas rooms. THey just thought they were being sent away... Well, that's what the government was telling them. In any case, the Catholic Church has always had a strong atni-semitic current, so it's no big news.

You have no idea what it was like to live in Nazi Germany, and neither do I. However, the Germans stayed home and fought, because their leaders were extremely charismatic men who were able to take a drastic situation (remember, the Great Depression was 'Great' because it affected the whole world...) and use it to make the people agree with them and go along. A person such as Hitler could have done the same in pretty much any country, given the circumstances.