New Pope Thread

Actually I think he was in the Hitler Youth at a time when such membership was mandatory. During WWII he was an 18 year old pulled into service during the waning days. His family were anti-Nazis who had to move on several occasions to get out of trouble with the local party.But IMHO the bigger message was that the College did not want to see any major changes. It is a sign that internally, neither the radicals or the reactionaries believe they have the strength to set policy. Until the power and direction of the College (remember it was recently expanded enormously) works itself out, they did not want to risk a younger man, one who might serve as Pope for a quarter century or more.This message has been edited by jar, 04-19-2005 08:06 PM

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

I think stopgap might be better than placeholder. I think they simply wanted to put off the inevitable confrontation between Liberal and Conservative, between radical and reactionary.But you never know what someone appointed to a position for life might do. Ask Dwight Eisenhower. LOLActually we know nothing about what HE thinks. We know he is an apparatchik. But beyond that little is known.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

But that is the apparatchik speaking.I return to my example of Dwight Eisenhower. Ike appointed a conservative, somewhat southern, long time politician to the SCOTUS. The guy had been the Vice-Presidential candidate with Dewey during the previous election. He was a classic appartchik, towed the Party Line, was the enforcer of Dogma, and yet Earl Warren as Justice Earl Warren went directly against the very President who appointed him and pushed through some of the most Liberal decisions that the SCOTUS has issued in its history.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

was that whoever was elected would die soon. They simply did not want another quarter century Pope.The RC knows that it MUST change but like any monolithic organization, change will be slow and painful.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Which simply shows a misunderstanding of what the saying means. No where does it say "do to others as they have done to you", but rather "do to others as You Would Like Them to do to you.But Benedict XVI still has said nothing related to homosexuality so any comments on his position are premature and pure speculation.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

You still misstate and misunderstand the saying. It is, once again; "To do unto others as YOU would have them do unto you". It has nothing to do with what they would like to do to you.If you're going to discuss such issues, try to get the basic premise right.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion