Conversation:

It says something when the first stories we get following the Holy Father's resignation are things like:

"Ladbrokes is the second bookmaker to make Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana the favourite to be the next Pope, with odds of 5/2."

Clearly, the whole thing has been orchestrated in league with a far-east betting syndicate, and I hope it's investigated by higher authorities.

Sadly, in this case, there's only one higher authority - the big G himself.

Does anyone else smell a Rat(zinger)?

I think the smart money is on Harry Redknapp..

Now what has 2legs done?

I didn't know about this because there was a Somebody-else's-problem field around it. I guess Pope Benedict prayed for a miracle but was turned down?

The Vatican is considered a monarchy, but new monarchs are chosen by ballot.

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FB

In any case, I wonder if he's starting a precedent by abdicating rather than serving until death. Not that it would be a problem for me if he did continue to serve. The Catholic Church went down some regrettable roads at least 1900 years ago, and some even more regrettable roads under Constantine. Then there were some Crusades and Inquisitions and Persecutions. They learned *nothing* about forgiveness after their own early persecutions at the hands of the Romans. They seriously considered eliminating the Jews altogether after Rome gave them the franchise for religion in the Empire.

They do learn a bit as they go along, but change is at a pace that makes glacial change look look speeding. How long did they take to relent on Galileo? Quite a long time. Sometime in the 19th century, anyway. Pope John Paul II offered the olive branch to the Jews in the late 20th Century. It's a good thing the Jews managed to survive despite the Church's efforts. Sixteen centuries passed before the Church admitted that the Jews had a bona fide pact with God? As I said, that kind of learning curve makes glacial drift look like speeding.

[Please understand that I am not passing judgment on the billions of ordinary people who try to make sense of life, but who have no power to change the hierarchies of whatever belief systems they have...]

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Maybe he had an epiphany and realised it's all codswallop?

Talking of Popes, we know a song about them - don't we children?

[Unsuitable link removed by Moderator]

Last night I actually got around to booking my to Rome.

I know nobody likes it when the boss shows up, but he didn't have to resign

I apologize for any unsuitable thing I might have posted.

What the hell?

Are we back under the aegis of the BBC again? What is with the OTT moderation?

FB

For the record Pope Palpatine and child abuse coverups are something of a matter of public record.

FB

I'd be prepared to bet the Cardinals will not select anyone who will acknowledge that there is little chance of seriously tackling global poverty unless women have the right to control their own fertilty.

The question is is that because the Church fathers are too unworldly to grasp this simple principle or because they are cynical enough to understand poverty and misery are the Church's greatest recruiting sergeants.

Do you think Jim fixed it for any of priests?

No, their god fixed it for them t [post edited for moderation team]

Embarrassingly Peter Odemwinge has shown up in Vatican City, saying how he's always loved Catholicism and West Brom was just a temporary posting.

Not been here all that much of late so has there been a decision to switch to "worst excesses of BBC moderation culture"?

I must have missed that thread.....

FB

Simply take two words from Ex 21:6 "He shall", one from Eccl 10:4 "resign", three from Luke 2:37 "aged 84 years", and two from Lev27:27 "plus one". All very literal and obvious.

Simon Nash (first comment @ http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2013/02/11/pope-benedict-xvi-is-resigning/.)

I didn't see any of the removed posts in their glory. I'm assuming some Tim Minchin references have disapeared.

TRiG.