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Conclave Begins: Meet The Papal Candidates
Today is the day all Robert Langdon fans have been feverishly waiting for: the 115 voting cardinals of the Catholic church begin today their secret conclave to choose the successor to Pope Benedict XVI.
As Bloomberg puts it succinctly, "he who enters the conclave a pope exits as a cardinal" and it is notoriously tricky to try to handicap the papal vote. In processional next steps, the Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel, hailing from as far as the Philippines, and may hold a single vote today with as many as four ballots on succeeding days. Politically, this conclave has been presented as a "struggle between cardinals looking to overhaul the Vatican bureaucracy known as the Curia, and those trying to maintain its influence, according to Vatican analysts. Electing a non-European, while a novelty, would not necessarily presage a change of course for the millennia-old institution shaken by the abdication of German-born Benedict. Pope Benedict XVI was chosen on the second day of the last conclave in 2005, while John Paul II was selected on the third day of the 1978 conclave." Realistically, it will be a free for all for the scandal-riven church, and it is very much an open question who the next pope will be.
So while we await the puffs of white smoke, courtesy of Bloomberg here are brief biographies of some of the men who may be in the running, based on betting websites and consulting Vatican watchers.

Francis Arinze (Nigeria):
Born: Nov. 1, 1932.
Arinze would be the first black pope and the first African pope for more than 1,500 years -- the last was Gelasius I, who reigned at the end of the fifth century and was from North Africa of Berber origin. A social and theological conservative, Arinze’s views on celibacy, women priests, homosexuality and contraception are considered close to those of Benedict XVI.

Christoph Schonborn (Austria):
Born: Jan 22, 1945.
The cardinal has guided Vienna through church scandals including allegations of priests using pornography and engaging in pedophilia. Considered a brilliant conservative theologian, he speaks French, English, Italian, Spanish and Latin, and has traveled widely on behalf of the Vatican, including trips to Moscow and Istanbul. He studied under Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, who became Benedict XVI, after becoming a priest at the age of 25. He is in favor of dialog between Catholicism and Islam, and was the highest-ranked church official to visit Iran after the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

Peter Turkson (Ghana):
Born: Oct. 11, 1948
Turkson, who studied theology in New York, is younger than Arinze and was called “one of Africa’s most energetic church leaders” by The Tablet, an influential British Catholic magazine, and in 2009 said that “if God would wish to see a black man also as pope, thanks be to God.” He has engaged with contemporary issues, including the global economic crisis by calling for more oversight of financial institutions and he has denounced the “idolatry of the market.”

Marc Ouellet (Canada):
Born: June 8, 1944
The cardinal from Quebec is an accomplished theologian whose writings were admired by Benedict, whose concerns about the modernization of the church he shared. “It would seem that, in the name of secularism, the Bible must be relativized, to be dissolved in a religious pluralism and disappear as a normative cultural reference,” Ouellet said in 2011 in his powerful role as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Ouellet became a priest in 1968 in the very church that his father built in La Motte, Quebec. He later taught at a seminary in Bogota, Colombia and served as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, making him well known among Spanish-speaking clergy.

Leonardo Sandri (Argentina):
Born: Nov. 18, 1943
The man who announced the death of John Paul II to the world in 2005, is a native of Buenos Aires who was born to a family of Italian immigrants. He rose to the heights of the church hierarchy to occupy the third most-important position in the Vatican between 2000 and 2007 as de facto chief of staff to the secretary of state. He now has a lower profile as head of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. He has served in Madagascar, Venezuela, Mexico and the U.S. and as the Vatican’s representative to the Organization of American States.

Angelo Scola (Italy):
Born: Nov. 7, 1941
The Archbishop of Milan is the front-runner among the Italians, who until the 1970s had a virtual lock on the papacy. With Benedict he shared philosophical and theologian interests and his writings on a range of topics from bio-ethics to sexuality have been published in different languages.

Odilo Scherer (Brazil):
Born: Sept. 21, 1949
A Brazilian of German descent, Scherer is Archbishop of Sao Paolo and as such oversees 6 million Catholics in the country’s biggest archdiocese. In the birthplace of liberation theology, he struck a moderate tone by seeing worth in focusing on social injustice and poverty while reserving criticism for the movement’s “Marxism.”
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Peter Turkson FTW! Time for Rome to unravel.
Saint Malachy anyone?
What % do you think are pedo-sodos?
last picture: "Hey, what gives?? Where are the little boys for my pleasure? I was told there would be 'entertainment' at this party."
Nothing else is as ridiculous as another man's religion.
No. Just Catholicism. I'm cool with most everyone else.
I think the last time a pope was nominated/selected or whatever they call it, the Vatican caught fire, because I remember smoke pouring out of it at one point.
I hope the Union of Vatican Firefighters Local 936 isn't on strike.
Go, Peter, go.
White smoke for the Black (pardon me) Fishman.
only if the jesuit run curia allows and approves of black peter; only then he will be elected
Hey, be nice to this guy. Ya gotta love someone with a name that has a good drink and two good dances.
What normal heterosexual male denies his natural instincts and joins the catholic church for life so he can never get laid?
.
Worshipping God is great...no argument there.
But its much better doing that with a solid woman and a family in your life:)
Indeed. Follow the money to the celibacy mandate.
The missus just told me she heard on the radio that Moochelle was going to announce the winner.
the one that looks like Obama?
The Antichrist and False Prophet must look alike? ;-)
Please keep it in perspective. Children have a far higher chance of being molested and raped by a public school teacher than a priest.
It's just far more salacious when it is done by a church official.
Please keep it in perspective. No one should abuse a kid, especially priests (who are supposedly called by God). But at least the Catholic church hierarchy doesn't have a long history of systematic child molestation and cover ups of those crimes against humanity . . . oh wait.
And that's jst the tip of the iceberg. The Catholic church is corrupt to the core, and has been for centuries.
The Catholic church was infiltrated by a Marxist/Homosexualist element starting about 50-60 years ago, when Cultural Marxists plotted to bring down the Church by actively recruiting homosexuals and Marxists and encouraging them to enter the Seminary. Ann Barnhardt has this pretty well documented. Pope Paul VI saw it at the beginning, famously declaring that "the smoke of Satan has entered the Vatican".
"Liberation Theology", homosexual behavior in Seminaries, and pedophilia with boys (never with girls....hmmmm isn't that odd?) all sprang up in the 70s as a result. The mainstream media, another institution co-opted by the Cultural Marxists, have been leading the charge, minimizing and obfuscating stories of pedophilia by other institutions, while focusing like a laser on scandals in the Catholic Church.
Banzai
This seems more of a reach than the 4% molestation rate I sighted. What gives?
And, don't forget... before the "homosexuals" infiltrated this pure, holy organization, these cultists never supported initiating harm against innocent people... ever! Oh, wait a minute.
Certain things in history have been greatly exaggerated: The holocaust, Catholic malfeasance, and Mark Twain's untimely demise.
It has been called the October Revolution by the Catholic faithful, like an invading pathogen, by degrees, all but removing divine liturgy, and introducing ecumenism, which is code for freemasonry. It was prophesied by the apparition of the Theotokos in Fatima, Portugal just before the actual October Revolution, and subsequently covered up by the subversives. Yes, the ancient serpent has bruised her heel, but She shall crush his head in the end.
And now we get down to the real battle, because all forms of government or non-government, all economic systems, all philosophies ultimately fail, Satan rules this realm. Only the Church is our refuge, and Christ's grace will be dispensed, the Church will prevail, and so the battle line is drawn.
Raymond Reason
Bwahhh haaaa haaa !
nervous laugh?
Idk where the church is going. You mention fatima, but they cant even get together for 5 minutes and consecrate Russia as our Lady asked.
Ecumenism has been a poison as the church basically doesn't want to rock the boat with any other faiths, non faiths or secular. So that means no teaching, no condemning evils and no leadership.
That is the enigma, the leaders of the Catholic church can't seem to solve. They think they HAVE consecrated Russia to Our Lady's Immaculate Heart. But the Russians didn't accept it. The Russians won't accept it until Rome cleans its house, restores the Liturgy, rejects ecumenism, and purges itself of its infection. Personally, i believe Benedict 16 put this in motion.
From what I gathered, they need to expressly consecrate russia, not just the whole world. During the Cold War, this seemed like a huge issue, now it could be done with the pope and bishops in unison, but you're right, they "think" they already did that. I think Our Lady promised like 25 years of world peace or something for a simple prayer.
B16 did put things in motion. Bringing back acceptance of the Tridentine mass recently. This Novus Ordo stuff is just crap.
But the next pope won't even be in a generation to be under pre vatican 2. B16 was the last.
Buckaroo Banzai
Blame blame blame. You actually believe history that is only 60 yrs old.
The Vatican will of course admit there was nothing done wrong before 60 yrs ago, not take responsibility, and shove a solid rod of BS up your arse.
I mean good god, have you done a touch of research beyond modern hearsay?
Could you possibly believe there was no carry over of Roman and Greek social parameters? Homosexuality was just as rampant, just more socially acceptable. Then christians said as they, and their hearsay book says "Do as we say, not as we do". HAHHAAA HA You are a believer.
The Vatican should be emptied of their library and BURNED.
note: Burned with all "leaders" inside, as we all envision the majority of our governance.
The solid rod of BS is being wielded by the same people you normally don't trust (being a ZHer).
I visited Ann Barnhardt's website the other day. Wow! What a religious wacko!
I like a lady in heels holding a gun!
And she's got a stare that will make your head expode, but she also talks some seriously decent shit on a financial level.
First and foremost, I'm no more privy to Catholic church conspiracies and coverups than I am to US Government indiscretions. That said, I was raised Catholic, went to mass two days ago, so I have some personal insight.
I look at it like this: I appreciate the teachings and principles of the Catholic church. I think that they are generally good and wholesome. I think Catholics, particularly in the US, have been extremely generous and have tried very hard to have a positive impact on people throughout the world. I appreciate that the Church fights for life and is anti-abortion because, as I justify it, it is to protect the sanctity of life (not to mention it deprives a baby of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.) I cannot justify Church dogma, practices (why you stand, sit, kneel, etc., at mass), or why priests cannot marry.
I look at the US Government. It was formed by the people, for the people, to protect us from tyranny. My government claims to protect my right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as a conerstone of my citizenship. I believe that the Constitution exists to protect my rights (privacy, speech, due process, etc.), not grant them to me. However, I cannot justify the actions of my government to launch illegal wars, deny others the rights they claim to "give" me, tax my income worldwide, etc.
I point these out because I feel that like the USG, the Catholic church is inherently run by fallable humans. People make poor decisions and unfortunately they paint the whole institution in a bad light. That's not to say that the institution is inherently wrong/bad, but has been poorly influenced by bad decisions and people with alterior motives. I don't pray to the Pope anymore than I obey illegal orders issued by the President. Please keep this perspective in mind when passing judgement on both the Catholic church and the US Government. The intent was pure... people have corrupted it.
I just realized that my conclusion is somewhat incomplete...
Just because the institution (Church or USG) is currently flawed, doesn't mean the whole thing should be scraped. We don't take cancer patients out back and put a 9mm between their eyes (yet) because they have some bad cells in their bodies. Recognize that the proximate cause of the flaw is bad people, and like bad/cancerous cells, the flaw/cancer should be eradicated, not the entire body.
For those that say Catholics are inherently bad, in my opinion, is no different than saying all Muslims are terrorists. To say that the USG is evil is tantamount to saying that the Bill of Rights should be scrapped. I disagree... hit the reset button, "reboot the computer" first, before throwing the whole thing out. Give it a chance to cleanse itself, or even better, we should be the change agents to help enact the change.
Ok, right, whatever you... BELIEVE.
Of course there will be those who are good. Until power is gifted unto.
Why is christianity the number 2 killer of all humans throughout history?
#1 Mother Nature.
Based solely on its 20th century "activism" government is the 2nd biggest killer in human history. Now you could argue that Hitler and Stalin were Christian, but how many people could they possibly have murdered without first rising to power? Of course, Pol Pot and Mao were atheists. The Ottomans were Muslin. Robspierre was a Deist. In Rwanda it was Hutu vs. Tutsi.
The State is nothing more than another religion, its power based solely on faith. Perhaps superstition is the 2nd biggest killer?
"The intent was pure... people have corrupted it."
People created both the Catholic church and the US Government. How do you know that the intent was pure in either case, given that people "corrupt" these institutions. Was the Council of Nicea pure in intent? There was functionally no "big C" Catholic church before it. Interesting that Origen and the Hellenist Jews (particularly in Alexandria) are so systematically excluded from any historical discussion or exegetical teachings, despite having wrote the fucking Bible. No meaningful discussions in the mainstream around the obvious syncreticism of the ancient religious traditions directly into the Bible and early Christian holiday development. And this doesn't even get into other issues, such as why the practice of Christianity (via the Catholic construct, of which Protestants heavily borrow) is ironically not even in the same hemisphere as what was suggested as ideal functional behaviors by the Jesus character in the gospel texts. The very concept of a pope, let alone the absurd heirarchy and bullshit grandstanding, is exactly what Jesus was railing against. Fancy robes, doing good deeds where others see you do it, fake ass morality that you can't possibly live up to, etc., Catholicism is basically just a continuation of the Pharisees. But yeah, pure intent. Sure.
Religion is voluntary. Pewblik Skewlz....not so much.
Really? The last statistic I heard was that 1 in 25 priests was molesting.
Teachers ruin our youth just by doing the job they were hired for: schooling (not education).
LOL, where did you read THAT statistic? The NY Times? The Boston Globe?
Years ago when this scandal was breaking I paid more attention. I just did a google on it and found this:
http://www.americancatholic.org/news/clergysexabuse/johnjaycns.asp
Small world update: A friend of mine from youth told me back in the 90s that when he was running HS track in Minnesota in the 70s that the priest who first gained this scandalus noteriety from Boston had taken him and his teammates on an overnight track meet and that this guy had jumped into his bed. He bolted and spent the night sleeping in a chair in the lobby.
Hidden No Longer: Genocide in Canada, Past and Present – by Kevin D. Annett, M.A., M.Div.
http://hiddennolonger.com/
That free book you link, 'Hidden No Longer' by Kevin Annett, about Canadian mass murder of Native Americans with a heavy involvement by the churches, is truly tragic.
Canada has its very brutal side despite its nicey-nice image
While only a small few per cent of Canada's general population, the Native Americans are 24% of Canada's jail prisoners in the provinces, and 18% of Canadian federal prisoners
Like the US, Canada does not honour its treaties with its First Nations native peoples
Here is a ludicrous Canadian Mountie 'Crime Stoppers - Wanted' poster, seeking to arrest the Native American woman Kwitsel Tatel aka 'Patricia Elaine Kelly' (her Anglo name)
Her 'crime'? ... Fishing in accord with the ancient treaty rights of Native Americans, or as the 'wanted' poster puts it, 'Wanted for: purchasing, selling and possession of fish against the fisheries act.'
http://www.veteranstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CrimeStoppers.jpg
You're probably also familiar with Kevin Annett and his work here: http://itccs.org/
The ITCCS post on February 13th was most interesting:
http://itccs.org/2013/02/13/pope-benedict-resigned-to-avoid-arrest-seizu...
one more reason that losing sucks for the losers.....
N. B. Forrest
Of course they do.......
Because all kids go to school and the Cardinal treats go to church.
Nice try.
99%
The new pope has got to be new Jerusalem Russ? no???
+1 Petrus Romanus, the final pope is here. They "cannonized" the bible and selected and probably wrote or influenced some of its content so of course they would "know" and correctly predict their own "prophecies."
But what exactly does it really mean? The Antichrist is here and the apocalypse is near (or the world takes another form)? Or does it only mean the end of "religion" (or Catholic church) as we currently know it and it takes another form?
I'll vote for the one with the cone head hat. I wonder how many channels they pick up with that thing.
I was planning on voting for the old fart...
DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THE DEMOCRATIC CHRISTIAN SYSTEM WHERE PEOPLE GET TO VOTE FOR THE PERSON WHO IS REPRESENTING THEIR FAITH?!!!
IT'S WHAT GOD WANTED!!!
AND YOU'LL BURN IN HELL IF YOU DON'T AGREE!!!!!
EXCOMMUNICATION IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES!!!
AAAAAAAaaarrrhHHH!! CHRISTIANS ARE CENTURIES BEYOND THE MUSLIMS FUCKERS!!
If you don't like it, you can leave the Catholic Church. There are approximately 10,000 other Christian denominations to choose from. The again if you don't like that there are another million other religions that would be happy to take you.
Christianity has never been democratic and when it becomes democratic it ceases to be Christian.
Christianity has never been Catholic and when it becomes Catholic it ceases to be Christian.
Oh, it seems more likely that this person "Christ" never existed, but if he did, Christianity has never been Christian and when it becomes Christian it is christian... which means nothing, really.
No serious scholar doubts that Jesus Christ actually lived, you fucking moron.
I think you are overplaying your hand a bit. But by all means... defer to authority. That always works well. And what's with the name calling? Of course, it does fit well with the mindlessness of your faith... so by all means, carry on.
There have been 4 biographies written on Jesus shortly after his death in an age in which the vast majority of people were illiterate and depended on oral histories instead. the early Christian church was a trend setter by actually trying to document the events of Christs life. Many of the personal writings of some of his top followers have been reverently copied and passed on for millenia and they are almost exactly matching to early manuscripts later found and dated to the early second century.
You are an ignoramus, a jackass braying things you have heard from other jack asses because you think your brash posturing makes you look eductaed, erudite and a free thinker but it does quite the opposite, except in the view of your fellow jack asses.
Why all of the name calling? You call me an ignormous, but clearly you have no understanding of the source of the gospels. But whatever... if you want to think of them as 4 separate "biographies"... by all means... have at it. You are familiar with how those decisions were made, right?... What was cannonized and what wasn't. Most christians have no idea of how their book came to be. I don't really care. Foolishness.
Does anyone here honestly think that it's true that the Easter Bunny can seriously whoop Jesus Christ's ass? Inquiring cultists who believe in invisible superheros want to know.
175 CE (Earliest possible edition of Luke/Mark) is SHORTLY AFTER?
CE being PC for AD?
Really? The serious scholars of the Christian church couldn't even figure out the year of His birth... they were out by 7 years until recently they checked their mythology against the Roman records of the time. Christ, if he lived at all, left not a single written word, we rely on second and third hand accounts, cherry picked 3 centuries later and attributed to his acolytes.
Christmas, the supposed birthday is a sham , it was superimposed on the barbarian soltice celebration, coopting it for Christ. Astronomical references in the Bible point to his being born in the summer of 3-7 BC, if at all. No birth record of his mother and father either.
You guys deride Sion controlled TV, movies, newspapers, publishing houses, and major internet sources, and doubt everything they foist upon you concerning history and economics. But when it comes to the Catholic church, their word is good, why bother to doubt, why bother to dig? Because on this issue, you want to believe wormtongue.
Not being 100% certain of the year of Jesus birth does not undermine the historical FACT that He llived.
By your 'logic' William Wallace could not have existed because no one knows his birthday either and he lived less than a millenia ago.
And your boring blather about Christmas is as transparently irrelevant as it can get.
Actually, I think his point about Christmas is quite valid, and quite representative of the fact that modern-day Christianity is as sanitized and artificial a product (of MEN) as were Hostess Twinkies.
I can accept that, as long as you don't question the FACT that HE was born from the Virgin Mary's virgin V-J-J! </sarc>
JimBowie1958
MMMM scholars are the most brilliant of our minds... not.
Einstien dropped out of 8th grade.
Bernanke a great scholar.
Bush too.
Scholarly education programs the parameters of your thought process.
You must have started in Sunday school.
Ouch! That hurt I bet.
But I left the church I was raised in precisely because I re-evaluated everything I was taught after my parents divorced, not an uncommon reaction for children. I was an atheist for a number of years till I got into high school and started digging into the subject for my own.
And I discovered that there is a huge field of knowledge that has been hidden from most people of our time regarding theological subjects. The realization that there must be a Creator advanced science, sociaety, morality and our entire civiliaztion. The ignorance of people today gives us millions of single mothers, tens of millions of babies killed in the womb, a large number of teens that rampage through malls theiving and murdering people just for fun, every politician a lying whore and every scholar a sex addicted fool
The events so often discussed here at zerohedge have come about exactly because our civilization has abandoned the notion of objective Truth shortly after it abandoned its Author.
<---- Serious scholar that doubts that Jesus Christ actually lived. But hey, I'm only a dude that's read/studied/notated/researched the Bible in it's entirety 5 times in the last two years. I'm sure I have nothing on you.
No, actually the Catholic Church IS the direct product of Christ. It's the "one true religion."
However, in its 2000 years there have been many problems, anti popes, schisms. Protestants are the product of the problems and sins of those within the church.
what if christ is the direct product of the Catholic Church... not the other way around? This is a true statement... at least the "christ" as presented to you by the church.
Constantine "The Great" needed it to be so. It was a political necessity and it worked well for him. There is nothing to compare with superstitution to keep the sheep in the flock. It works just as well today as it did 1,700 years ago.
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." -Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4?BCE - 61CE)
I'm really not so troubled by such an ignorant statement. As a Catholic person I'm quite accustomed to it. I do need to state however that anyone who sincerely desires to be an authentic Christian can do so whether within the Catholic faith or without.
It just takes courage and sincere desire:)
Your historical reference is what - the last 20 years?
The Church has never asserted that those raised outside the church were damned to hell, though many have exagerated the message to be such, mostly to get alms.
The church has long asserted that the destiny of those moral people raised outside of Christianity is unknown to the church. We have a sure route to salvation if we follow the teachings of Jesus and the church, but that doesnt mean everyone elses is damned. The oly ones damned are those who leave the church, and as I understand it there is a broad number of them who might also be saved having never had a mature grasp of the churches teachings.
My vote is for Jeremy Irons:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethe...
Peter the Roman!
Cardinal Tarcisio Pietro Bertone of Romano Canavese being the most likely to fit the description and my number one choice. Supposedly the Vatican has recently become even more of a viper's nest of intrigue than it normally is so why is the head viper, secretary of state, and head of the inquisition (now renamed) not on the list of contenders? The Vatileaks scandal was about secret papers being leaked to the press to discredit potential future Popes (Angelo Scola was a primary target) and Bertone was implicated in the leaks. How many secrets were held in reserve for today? Come on fellow ZHers you have to love a good conspiracy theory and this guy is as close to a Goldman candidate as there is.
Spawn of Satan, all of them.
Why not skip the middleman and just elect a penis ?
March Madness!
Who has a brackets template?
LOL!
When I look back upon my life
It's always with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame
I VOTE FOR THE ONE THAT ISN'T A PEDOPHILE!!!!
...
none?
....
I VOTE FOR THE ONE THAT RAPED THE FEWEST AMOUNT OF KIDS!
...
and wasn't a nazi....
and is pro democracy...
and isn't a nutjob...
...
Maybe they should go with a female this time?
Oh no, we shall have nun of that.
a woman.... that didn't have sex... for over 80 years...
that's... not... what god wanted...
AND GOD SAID!!!!!!!! ADAM!!!! I'LL GIVE YOU A COMPANION!!!
SO WHAT YOU GOING TO DO WITH HER?!?!!
and Adam said: DON'T WORRY BRO!!! I GOT HER COVERED!!!! BOEYAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
and after 10 years....
god returned to adam... and asked him... WHAT'S UP DUDE!!!??? STILL GOT YOUR SHIT COVERED?!
and Adam said... DUDE!!! that woman you gave me??? her tits are starting to hang.... can't you make it dark or something?
SO GOD CREATED DAY AND NIGHT!!!!
... it's in the bible... believe me... and if you don't it means you didn't read the bible...
And screw democracy! That's cover for statist asshats!
GetZeeGold
JESUS !
I agree. Primarily due to the fact that catholicism, hates women. Retardedly so.
SD - "Der Spiegel" has Sean O'Malley on the roaster ...
I smell the conspiracy on ZH:
1. No word about an candidate for CEO of Vatican LLC if he comes from commie state of MA
2. Pope needed - Dogs and Irish may not apply
... ( spray and pray ) ...
I was going to give you a greenie, but I'd probably burn alive! ;)
Hey where is Barrys name?
where is blankfein?
Ray Lewis.
Fred Flintstone
A who's who of the 1978 NAMBLA yearbook...
They came up with the motto "No child's behind left"
Old "celibate", for the most part, white men. Completely out of touch with the real lives of the people they preach to.
The hypocrisy of the catholic church in the last 100 years makes me want to vomit when i ponder these proceeedings.
Organized religion really is an opitate for the masses.
IF I WHERE POPE I'D KILL EVERYBODY AND TAKE ALL THE GOLD!!!
WHOEHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH!!!
and those nuns???..... AL THOSE 18 YEAR OLD GOOD LOOKING VIRGIN ONCE! THE 0,000002% I MEAN....
CAN KISS MY HOLY WHHHHHOEEEEYYAAAAHHHHAAAAAAAAaaaa!!!
I'LL REPOPULATE THE EATH ADAM STYLE!!! FROM 2 TO 7 TRILLION IN 6000 YEARS!!!
just kidding...
I like woman who already have a few miles on the counter!
"Completely out of touch with the real lives of the people they preach to."
You could just as easily be describing the opulence of the present day leadership of the Democrat party, except for the celibate part. They live in luxury while their zealous supporters languish in squalor. Throw in a little global warming alarmism, Gaia/Obama worship, and promote the sancitity of all things non-traditional and you have a quasi-religion of its own.
Religion isn't an opiate for the masses. In the absence of one people will create something to follow with the same fervour. What the real issue is is why modern western societies continue to casually cast off the building blocks of their civilization in favor of the debased.
No.
Morals and matters of faith are not meant to change with the secular opinion of the world.
lizzy, can't believe you were junked for such a rational comment, there must be some pedophiles on this board
The Catholic church makes an easy target and there is much for which they have to answer. But let's keep things in perspective.
"Forgotten Study: Abuse in Schools 100 Times Worse than by Priests"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2010/apr/10040101
Sure seem to be a lot of NAMBLA members out on ZH this morning. This isn't a competition to see who can rape the fewest children. This is about a certain corrupt organization's propensity for having sex with little boys and systematically (organization wide) covering up said abuses. Additionally, clergy should be held to a higher standard than the rest of the population.
But, then again, I don't know why i am arguing with you over whether it is fair to hold their history of rampant child molestation against the Catholic church. If you're down with it, i guess that's your deal.
Sure seem to have some hate issues with the Catholic church specifically, don't you? Yes, there were crimes, yes, there were failures and yes, there have been many failures over the centuries. It is an institution full of people, who make mistakes and can be corrupted.
On the other hand, were it not for the Catholic church, western civilization would not exist, the world of technology we have today would likely not exist and your equivalently profane commments regarding Mohammed and Islam (as that would be the religion you would be railing against, not Catholicism - if you had the balls) would have you long since dead.
WTF dude. Go see a shrink.
Such bullshit. Western Civilization exists despite the Catholic Church. But I'm an equal opportunity religion basher. Christianity is no more retarded than any other religion (though it's certainly no less retarded either)... except for maybe Mormons and Scientologists, but I digress. And before anyone gets their panties in a bunch... the use of the word "retarded" is correct here. Religion literally retards our advancement as a species.
Let's see, 2000 years of continuous history vs 200 years of Darwin and Marx. Atheist commies wiped out +/- 100 million people in just the 1900's alone, so yes, we are making great strides in the advancement of brutaility against the species.
Many see that as advancement. Those people (aka 'human viruses' -Agent Smith) were just going to pollute the world and exhale CO2, afterall.
See... retarded. Two sides... it's catholics vs. marxists. That narrative has been provided to you... it keeps you in your box. You retard the conversation. See how that works? Your mind is a playground and the bullies are in control.
A lot of very bright people have chosen to become Catholic (or remain Catholic, as the case may be). If you want to pretend otherwise, you might just keep it to yourself because you come off as arrogant and uncivil.
Why in the world should I care what "a lot of bright people" are doing? A lot of bright people followed Hitler. A lot of bright people become morman... muslim... some even become bankers.
True, but you are simply an ignoramus and a bitch.
You represent your religion well. Christ would be pleased, I'm sure. I know... I know... you aren't perfect, just forgiven... right? You should accept your defensiveness as a sign of your insecurity and ask yourself why. Perhaps you realize, somewhere deep inside, that your whole belief system is, at best, suspect. But you'll bury that thought even deeper inside. Is there anything else you are hiding?
Narrative? You sound like a 20-something Millenial born after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 repeating what some college professor said to you.
Marxist-Lenninist atheism was a blight on the 20th century and for the countless millions of people who lost their lives fighting against it it was much more than just a "narrative." Some of us lived through it.
Shall I defer to you because you are 20 years older than me, or should I pity you for risking your life to fight in a conflict where both sides were financed by the same people? My college professors (25 years ago) told stories that fit neatly into the narrative. It's how the indoctrination works.
Did your college professors tell you that the war was between catholics and atheists or did you come up with that distinction on your own. And when Truman told you that god wanted us to Nuke defenseless cities, did that fit neatly into your view of the world as well?
I stand corrected. You're not a naive 20-something, you're an aging uber-cynical nihilist who thinks he's got it all figured out.
Carry on.
That's better. Only I don't have everything figured out... I don't really have anything figured out... I simply recognize bullshit as bullshit. Once you learn how, it's impossible to stop.
You are nothing more than a blathering fool.
Two power centers existed in the early chrstian world being rome an constantinople (ankarra). Rome eventually sacked Constantinople. The sacked city being the largest christian city near the christian-muslim battlefront was eventually seized by the muslims and became the power center of the turk ottoman empire. Islam endured because of not despite of rome.
Which crackpot religion teaches that?
I've been Catholic all of my life and personally known plenty of priests. None of them were ever even accused of molestation or cover-up, let alone proven guilty in a court of law.
Pedophiles simply go to where the kids are. Most molested kids are molested by a friend or member of the family. Public school teachers have the highest rates of molestation, followed by protestant ministers, and then by priests. (I'm guessing that if they studied other groups - like people who work at roller skating rinks, etc. where kids congregate, they'd find a lot there too.)
Why didn't Macauly Conklin testify? He liked it, that's why.
Now how about you?
Sure seem to be a lot of NAMBLA members out on ZH this morning. This isn't a competition to see who can rape the fewest children. This is about a certain corrupt organization's propensity for having sex with little boys and systematically (organization wide) covering up said abuses.
You are a fucking liar.
I am a Man I am...
+1
Of course their are ! They have infiltrated everything remotely viable.
Why else would christianity spread disease and ignorance throughout the world; calling it salvation. lol.
Vomiting is probably a good idea for you. Might purge some of the puss and bile that is feeding your fever.
These men are not "out of touch". As priests, they visit the sick and dying, they counsel people, including prisoners, etc. They hear people confess things most of us can't imagine. And despite this exposure, 99.9% of them have never been hypocritical or committed any crime, etc. They are good men who have given their lives to God.
As to celibacy, there are a lot of other celibate religious people throughout the world, e.g. the Dali Lama and other Buddhist monks, some Hindus, etc.
The big lie modern people have been told, is that celibacy is impossible for all but a few rare ascetics, being taught that it leads perversity or even prostrate problems. Celibacy, like fasting, like repentance, is self-denial, and produces the kind of people who are a great threat to the parasite hoard, because they become powerful vessels, through whom God dispenses His grace.
Raymond Reason
Holy CRAP !
How much was dispensed in your backside !?
The supreme court has similar law based guide lines as celibacy does. Seems as though we are all getting
cornholed by them as well. ABUSE of POWER.
The "parasitic hoard" which empowers those who feast upon them.
What are the largest buildings in small towns & cities before industrial revolution began education of the masses.
Da churches. Thank god western civilzation is vacating christianity.
Many and I mean many churches in my area of New England have been and are being sold. Ran out of the "greatest generation" retarded believers. Modern education and science is eviscerating christianity. Thank god.
Considering the fact that the average Catholic school kid runs academic circles around his public school counerparts, you might want to rethink that. Surveyed the SCOTUS lately?
L_Conquistador
Yes they are.
Nature has genetically programed all species to acheive balance.
After reading above mentioned proverbial duties, any man would enjoy support of a woman, who holds and nutures
life, after being inundated in social pestilence. Belief by those in power, often is the cause of such pestilence.
Research beyong belief affirmation = truth.
Your death encrusted name is so fitting. Killer Killer.
What you observe is mostly true only in the Western nations and the US.
Outside of that set of nations, the priests and Magisterium are still deeply involved in the daily lives of their parishioners.
You really shouldnt be so ethno-centric in your world view, bitch.
JimBowie1958
Your admittance of religious power being maintained is hilarious.
Of course it is... in countries where people can NOT READ.
Involved "deeply" in the daily programming, in which the word of a common man, is ignorantly viewed as god.
So deep. So sad. For those, the world remains flat as a pancake.
Belief lives, where intelligence is quelled.
Lol, you fucking bigot, Third world has plenty of people who can read, in fact it was CHRISTIANITY THAT SPURRED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRINTING PRESS AND LITERACY. Not a bunch of secular fools trying to take credit like a whore in a bar back alley.
why isn't New Jerusalem Russ on this list?
They're all doing god's work. But are there any former Goldmanites?
Uh, I think you have that back-asswards.
Can we write in a vote? Father Guido Sarducci
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO8x8eoU3L4
Whoever wins the "Find the Popes in the Pizza" contest?
Odilo Scherer looks like the "cult" of personality, "I assure you ladies that fart was not mine, hahaha".
I'd bet on Odilo Scherer, if the odds were good enough.
With Intrade gone I guess we can't bet on it.
I think Peter Turkson was strong in the combine, but they want to review the game film before committing.
all the people with their red capes, holy smokes, pointy fingers (forming a triangle) blingy garb, fishy miters; this has nothing whatsoever to do with God. It is the worship of Catholicism.
You forgot to write the second part of your post explaining your singular understanding of the nature of God(s).
You never heard about 'dress for success'?
Who's going to listen to the Vicar of Christ wearing jeans and a Grateful Dead t- shirt?
Do you similarly bash the Dali Lama and his monks?
A joo banker should be in charge of an enterprise this large.
Perfidis judaeis? non.
Can Ashley Judd be Pope ? I know she isn't a Cardinal but I think she is pretty. Popes should be less scarry.
Nope,
Handing out rubbers to Indian hookers is a no-go zone.
the world is popeless.
Sede vacante