Hmm, Alzheimer’s, guilt over hiding pedophiles all these years, let his Latin lapse, pressure from the cardinals who want a younger, more revelant pope, tired of wearing those funny looking hats, wants to retire to the south of France and gamble, who knows? He was the first to quit in 600 years though so I guess that’s significant. It’ll send a ripple through the ranks of the faithful and the souvenir stands near the Vatican will reap the rewards of a new pope, more guilded crosses, more virgin Mary lawn figurines, more frozen holy water(Popesickles), other than that… . Hey, I hear the Anglicans have a new guy too.
Hmm, the pope says he “recognizes his incapacity.” Why doesn’t he just pray to get his capacity back? I often wonder about this when I see a church under construction. Why not just pray to God to fix it instead of hiring expensive construction company? But I was never good at theology, so no wonder I don’t get it.
Until proved otherwise, I will suspect a new and more devastating scandalous allegation involving the pope and/or church. It’s not like there haven’t been a…. few!
How’s the RCC’s finances, I wonder? I know there’s been various scandals over the years about what they’ve been doing with their money (investing in pharmaceutical companies who’s profits primarily come from birth control, laundering money for the mafia, investing in sub-prime mortgages, etc.), and its been rumored that the Church’s cash is running low (but that could simply be because they’re hiding it so they don’t have to pay it out to the molestation victims). Could it be they’re looking for a new Pope because they need someone with financial acumen at the helm? Or that they think replacing the current Pope with one who has a more charismatic personality will improve their cash flow?
Lightning struck the St. Peter’s Basilica Monday, hours after Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will resign as leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics on February 28. In this photo taken by Filippo Monteforte, the St. Peter’s iconic dome received a direct hit from lightning during stormy weather.
When he became pope at age 78, Benedict XVI was already the oldest pontiff elected in nearly 300 years. He’s now 85, and in recent years he has slowed down significantly, cutting back his foreign travel and limiting his audiences.
He wants to hang in there in an advisory capacity so he can have his hand picked sucessor succeed him. This guy was his closest advisor so no changes, just a younger, fatter pope and the spiritual advisor of over a billion followers. Scary huh?
Lightning struck the St. Peter’s Basilica Monday, hours after Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will resign as leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics on February 28. In this photo taken by Filippo Monteforte, the St. Peter’s iconic dome received a direct hit from lightning during stormy weather.
When he became pope at age 78, Benedict XVI was already the oldest pontiff elected in nearly 300 years. He’s now 85, and in recent years he has slowed down significantly, cutting back his foreign travel and limiting his audiences.
Miraculous timing on that one.
Don’t suppose Photoshop had anything to do with it.
That’s what you get for taking a job with no retirement plan.
I have heard that he is still planning on retiring in spite of the Dali Lama callin him a wimp, and Lance Armstrong’s offer to give him advise on “training.” i
[ Edited: 13 February 2013 06:34 AM by garythehuman ]
Is everyone aware that cardinal Ratzinger has a extraordinary past, before becoming Pope?.
And Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who heads the office of Inquisition that Pope John Paul II re-instated back in February of 1991, who also declared Christ not needed.
The “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith”, as retained to the present day. The Pope appoints a cardinal to preside over the Congregation, which usually includes ten other cardinals, as well as a prelate and two assistants, all chosen from the Dominican Order. The “Holy Office” also has an international group of consultants, experienced scholars in theology and canon law, who advise it on specific questions.[citation needed]
As head of the Congregation Ratzinger had specifically requested and had access to all incidents of reported sexual misconduct by the clergy around the world. In this capacity he did virtually nothing to stop the continued practices by known child molesters withing the church.
I have a feeling this has something to do with the recent release of the movie “Mia Maxima Culpa”
It’s not like there haven’t been a…. 
and Lance Armstrong’s offer to give him advise on “training.” 
i
