Pope Announces Retirement

**Zacha341** · February-17-13, 06:09 PM

UPDATE: 'Pray for the next pope': Thousands gather in St Peter's Square for Pope Benedict's penultimate Sunday address

Pope Benedict spoke at penultimate Sunday address at St Peter's Square

The Vatican has said the conclave to choose his successor could start earlier than originally expected, giving the Roman Catholic Church a new leader by mid-March.

Some 117 cardinals under the age of 80 will be eligible to enter the secretive conclave which, according to Church rules, has to start between 15 and 20 days after the papacy becomes vacant, on February 28.

But since the Church is now dealing with an announced resignation and not a sudden death, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the Vatican would be 'interpreting' the law to see if it could start earlier.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2LCVrUle6

**Gannon** · February-19-13, 04:29 AM

Translation=No worries about a Popeless St. Patrick's Day this year!

As for the whole thing, on another board I found a link to where someone predicted this three years ago...but not in a mystical prophetic way. More directly tangible. Hard to ignore.

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/...forced-to-resi

Why Pope Benedict Will be Forced to Resign
May 8th, 2010 12:02 PM

Sancho E. Jones

Just Because the Vatican Doesn't Hold the Clergy Responsible, Doesn't Mean the Membership Won't

After centuries of torture, genocide and even siding with Nazi Germany, why would the abuse scandal result in the Catholic Church forcing Pope Benedict XVI to step down? Why weren't other more heinous acts punished?

This time, there is going to be hell to pay.

It isn't that the Vatican finds priests raping children to be particularly troublesome, or violating the sanctity of the confessional to be worthy of punishment, even breaking the law isn't of much concern. It will be something more fundamental that will bring down the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

God.

You will notice that the Pope will be talking more and more about how “the Church” should do penance, or how “we” need to apologize. What Benedict is trying to do is to foist the blame from himself, and/or the Vatican on to the membership at large. Most members find the comparison of the Pope to holocaust victims and Jesus on the cross to be particularly offensive.

THE ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL

It is important to draw some distinctions here. There is Catholicism which is a religion; the Catholic Church which is a group of members of that faith which includes the laity, priests, nuns and all the leadership; and then there is the Vatican. Members often despise the Vatican, think the Pope is a buffoon and still love the Church, and consider themselves a good Catholic.

That last paragraph is pretty well stated. I'm related to a few folk just like that.

The rest of the article details why the sex abuse scandal has helped cause this historic resignation of the current Pope. It is damning.

**Gannon** · February-19-13, 05:06 AM

Whoa.

Turkson is approaching even on the odds board...2:1.

Iscariot has dropped to fourth place.

http://www.oddschecker.com/politics-...xt-pope/winner

**Gannon** · February-22-13, 12:00 PM

It just keeps getting weirder and wilder.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...ckmail-inquiry

This is surely easier to witness as an ex-Catholic than it can be for anyone still holding dear to the faith.

No cheers on any of this...

**Gannon** · February-22-13, 12:03 PM

Peter Turkson has gone a half point longer on his odds, but Iscariot has jumped up one in the running.

http://www.oddschecker.com/politics-...xt-pope/winner

**rb336** · February-22-13, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

It just keeps getting weirder and wilder.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...ckmail-inquiry

This is surely easier to witness as an ex-Catholic than it can be for anyone still holding dear to the faith.

No cheers on any of this...

It is also interesting that the resignation came very soon after a documentary on the sex abuse scandals, etc., was first shown.

**Gannon** · February-22-13, 02:20 PM

Depending on the number of liberal Cardinals, this might be an interesting conclave.

This story was linked from the Freep.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013022...xt|FRONTPAGE|p

So it wasn't of divine origin. Priests can marry. That would be one way to know if your priest wasn't dallying on the downlow. They never have beards, right?! Beards. Most of them are quite divine.

I guess I am having some fun with this.

**gazhekwe** · February-22-13, 07:53 PM

http://www.freep.com/article/20130222/NEWS05/130222103

The Italian media is reporting that Pope Benedict XVI resigned after receiving the results of an internal investigation, delivered in a 300-page, two-volume dossier, that laid bare a sordid tale of blackmail, corruption and gay sex at the Vatican.

The respected Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported Friday that the report stamped "Pontifical Secret," contained "an exact map of the mischief and the bad fish" inside the Holy See.

The newspaper said the findings of the nine-month investigation, headed by Spanish cardinal, Julian Herranz , with the assistance of Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi, former archbishop of Palermo, and Slovak cardinal Jozef Tomko, was delivered to the pope on Dec. 17, 2012.

"It was on that day, with those papers on his desk, that Benedict XVI took the decision he had mulled over for so long,'' the newspaper said.

**kenp** · February-23-13, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

that laid bare a sordid tale of blackmail, corruption and gay sex at the Vatican.

It sounds like city council haha

**Gannon** · February-23-13, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by kenp

It sounds like city council haha

Hey, no coarse joking here. We're trying to keep this thread clean...straight speculation with a sprinkling of conspiracy theory, bias of the odds boards, and goading our Catholic friends, neighbors, and family. No need to bring this down to council level.

Cheers!

**Zacha341** · February-23-13, 10:29 PM

Double-cheers on dat, G. ....

....

**Gannon** · February-25-13, 08:06 AM

Well, there goes the INTERESTING from the conclave.

It took them THREE DAYS to oust this fellow after his controversial comments. Three days.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013022...text|FRONTPAGE

One less reasonable man in the mix, it seems. How dare he try to tell people what Jesus actually SAID?!

**Gannon** · February-25-13, 08:07 AM

And people wonder why I don't want anything to do with this institution of power...as one friend put it, the longest running business on Earth. There might be an older profession, but these guys have been organized.

**Gannon** · February-25-13, 08:25 AM

I hate to be the bearer of harsh truth, but this is exactly why these abuses have been allowed to happen in the Church, and throughout other higher institutions up to the White House.

The INSTANT anyone dares to go outside the company line, something they did in the past will come up and knock them off their power perch. This one was done by the book, they called up something he did THIRTY YEARS AGO, in order to get him out of the conclave.

There is NO other reason why it was brought up THREE DAYS after he controversially brought up the actual words and supposed intent of the One they claim to worship as God.

Thirty years ago...gone in three days.

Now we'll see what happens...will he keep quiet, or will this be the crack that finally breaks the levy holding many hundreds of years of abuses of power and worse.

The Chinese curse seems to have stuck, we ARE living in interesting times.

**Gannon** · February-25-13, 08:40 AM

This CNN article provides a bit of cover for them, though, claiming he actually submitted his resignation months ago. That 'may' have been why he felt comfortable speaking out about how having only male priests is not something Jesus is reported to have said, and that it is 'not Divine'.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/25/world/...html?hpt=hp_t1

Curiouser and curiouser...

**canuck** · February-25-13, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

And people wonder why I don't want anything to do with this institution of power...as one friend put it, the longest running business on Earth. There might be an older profession, but these guys have been organized.

Yes, and unfortunately or otherwise, the great art, the advancement of culture through educational enterprise that was the major achievement of the cafflick church is shadowed by the spectre of control. The whole exercise of power over people's lives, the rules, the mumbo jumbo is an edifice that is crumbling because folks are wanting to own up to their own free will; which in my mind aint half bad.

But at least the Cafflick church did give us more than a Jehovah's Witness or Mormon shack ever could.

**Honky Tonk** · February-25-13, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

But at least the Cafflick church did give us more than a Jehovah's Witness or Mormon shack ever could.

The Mormon's DID come up with some cool underwear.

**canuck** · February-25-13, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

The Mormon's DID come up with some cool underwear.

Thanks Honky Tonk!

I looked it up and also found it cool. Definitely designed to keep the horny-o-meter at zero.

**Bad Brains** · February-26-13, 01:25 AM

As far as I'm concerned, the only good thing to ever come out of organized religion is architecture. Some of those churches and cathedrals are quite impressive from a structural and design perspective.

**Gannon** · February-26-13, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by Bad Brains

As far as I'm concerned, the only good thing to ever come out of organized religion is architecture. Some of those churches and cathedrals are quite impressive from a structural and design perspective.

Some of the ones built around the 1100s exhibit acoustic treatments not thought discovered until the twentieth century! It is said that Gregorian Chanting in these fabulous acoustic spaces can induce bouts of spontaneous ecstasy unto actual physical healing. I found it odd that they were shelved until this most recent pope. There is something to the resonant and harmonic functions of the human body...old mysteries oddly applied.

I say it that way, because in most cases, when any miracle happened it was to get more folks to look to the church [[or The Church) in awe and wonder...because it is tangible and usually awesome [[as in the architecture that you mention). Unfortunately, too often the Maker takes a backseat to the organization, and ultimately most look to IT instead of trusting That Which is above and beyond it.

I think organized religion has a deeper function, to introduce the CONCEPT of a Maker/God to the populous. At some point, if allowed and encouraged, everyone encounters the Spirit directly...all but eliminating the basic need for external religion. So, you can see why the officials don't teach encountering the Maker as directly as possible, since that relationship doesn't include them and the lifestyle they and their predecessors have become accustomed to over the centuries!

Pomp distracts from God...bringing the attention onto the men in the pretty costumes instead. They are NOT necessary for a full and complete interaction with the Maker of All Things!

Cheers, anyways, it is that kind of day.

**rb336** · February-26-13, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Some of the ones built around the 1100s exhibit acoustic treatments not thought discovered until the twentieth century! It is said that Gregorian Chanting in these fabulous acoustic spaces can induce bouts of spontaneous ecstasy unto actual physical healing.

The same properties have been found with the pagan dolmens throughout northern Europe. Deep resonance has been shown, scientifically, to improve healing in the musculoskeletal systems -- including studies on the effects of a cat's purring on healing bone fractures

**Gannon** · February-26-13, 09:48 AM

Thanks, I didn't mean to indicate that the Catholics have any solitary license on resonant healing...not by any means...just that they seem to be rediscovering the ones they had been hiding.

I've prattled on about that one large-animal veterinarian who discovered the nature of healing purrs for years. Always amazes me, and we've got two furry reminders running around the house!

**ghettopalmetto** · February-26-13, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

I say it that way, because in most cases, when any miracle happened it was to get more folks to look to the church [[or The Church) in awe and wonder...because it is tangible and usually awesome [[as in the architecture that you mention). Unfortunately, too often the Maker takes a backseat to the organization, and ultimately most look to IT instead of trusting That Which is above and beyond it.

Pomp distracts from God...bringing the attention onto the men in the pretty costumes instead. They are NOT necessary for a full and complete interaction with the Maker of All Things!

Cheers, anyways, it is that kind of day.

You haven't been to a Catholic Church in quite some time, have you? But I'm sure you can tell us everything about the Church, regardless....

**Gannon** · February-26-13, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

You haven't been to a Catholic Church in quite some time, have you? But I'm sure you can tell us everything about the Church, regardless....

My experiences and perceptions still stand. Prove otherwise!

There seems NO need for any additional data, unless the institution makes a change. You'll let me know when that happens?!

Thanks!

**Gannon** · February-26-13, 11:54 AM

[[Someone very close to me read those exact words and gave me a huge kudos...but then again he goes weekly to that church where the priest likes to drive around nekkid.)