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!!