This time next week there will be a new Pope. And I'm sick with worry.

[CK_John]

As a long lapsed catholic, I believe the pick will be the most anti science pope since the dark ages. A total christian Taliban.

[jsr]

1. Nobody pays attention to what a pope says anymore

Last edited Sat Mar 9, 2013, 02:46 AM - Edit history (1)

Regardless, for many years the Vatican has been deferring to scientists on scientific matters. Catholic schools teach evolution - keep in mind Mendel was a monk and Lamarck was a Jesuit.

[hlthe2b]

35. That really isn't true--that "nobody pays attention to what a pope says"...(though I wish it were)

[Hekate]

2. If you are "long lapsed" why should you care?

In this country, the Church is losing adherents by the pew-full. Our biggest worry is our home-grown home-schooled fundamentalists, aka Talibornagains.

Relax. If the conclave does what you fear, they will become ever more irrelevant to North America and Europe.

[Posteritatis]

38. North America and Europe aren't the entire world, you see. (nt)

[murray hill farm]

43. Long lapsed myself....but

even if I were not, what difference does it make who is pope? Why does anyone care at all. All the hype on this seems silly...and way, way over done. Why does anyone care about this at all?

[Dawson Leery]

3. Chances are they will choose a reactionary false prophet to which

most will ignore.

[rabid_byter]

4. no... i think the GOP has the corner on the False Prophet market..

[Zoeisright]

18. Not quite.

Religions invented the false prophecy, starting with all of the ridiculous predictions in ancient texts that never came true.

[CK_John]

5. I don't think the world ignores a pope, combined with an opus dei Supreme Court

Nothing but trouble afoot.

[Dawson Leery]

6. Is Anthony Kennedy opus dei?

He recently said he did not like having the USSC decided controversial matters such as gay marriage.

[Hekate]

19. Scalia, Thomas, Roberts ...

... allegedly.

Scalia has ties and associations. Scalia brought Thomas in. Roberts seems to have associations, but more is uncertain.

Allegedly.

[Aerows]

34. It's an interesting religious make up on the current court

Six of the Supreme Court Justices are Roman Catholic. The other three are Jewish. I'm fairly certain that Sotomayer isn't Opus Dei, but I could easily see Thomas, Scalia and Alito being part of that group. Roberts every now and then tempers a decision with wisdom instead of completely toeing the conservative line. I don't know much about Kennedy.

[Hekate]

48. I forgot about Alito.

No way is Sotomayor associated with that cult.

Yes, the makeup of the Court is interesting. This is the first time in US history that no one on it is Protestant. It used to be 100% Protestant.

[Dawson Leery]

45. I have heard nothing regarding Roberts having any Opus Dei association.

Scalia and Thomas on the other hand are know for it and are open about it. Subversive.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Just curious... how would you feel if O'Malley were picked?

I'm curious because I'm from near Boston. Seems like he's a decent guy, but I'm not very expert on the Catholic Church.

[BainsBane]

9. No American will be chosen

that much you can count on.

[MannyGoldstein]

12. You're almost certainly right. But...

these are weird times. I'm only a (very) uneducated observer, but it seems to me that O'Malley has qualities that are unusual in a Cardinal that would be very useful in righting the church. He's dealt forthrightly with the catastrophe that Cardinal Law left behing, and is extremely humble.

But I'm well aware that even if he'd be a sensible choice, reality is often anticorrelated with sensible.

[BainsBane]

14. The American church has long been a thorn in the side of the Vatican

besides there is no upside in appointing a pope from the US. If they are going to go outside of Europe, they are better off with a Latin American. A Quebecois candidate has also been named as a possibility.

[Raven]

27. O'Malley would be a good choice and for that reason

alone, they won't pick him. He is relatively young and has done a pretty good job in Boston given the mess that Law left.

[davidpdx]

30. Because we are sinner

[BainsBane]

44. No, because the Vatican considers us

a thorn in their side.

[davidpdx]

46. As we should be

Because we don't take orders from Vatican City

[Control-Z]

8. When was the last time

the pope's opinion influenced anyone in America, including catholics? He'll have enough trouble keeping most of the nuns in line. Seriously. Or are you personally worried?

[CK_John]

11. I worry about someone who believes it's ok to kill gays or nurses giving polio shots.

[BainsBane]

10. What makes you think he will be anti-science?

I believe Vatican II set to put to rest the idea that science and religion were in conflict.

The new pope will be a conservative, since the cardinals have been appointed during the past two papacies are all conservatives.

[Posteritatis]

39. Sedevacantists aside, they're probably the least backwards of the major religions on science

John Paul II was interested in genetic engineering for awhile and (cautiously) supportive of the whole endeavour. I'm sure you can find senior people in some of the wackier large Christian branches who are still working on accepting germ theory or heliocentrism.

[JaneyVee]

13. SPOILER ALERT: Homophobic & misogynistic.

[JDPriestly]

15. My prediction: The next pope will speak Spanish.

[840high]

17. I think it will

be an Italian.

[Nevernose]

21. That would be the smart thing for the cardinals to do

Or an African. However, money is on another European, probably an Italian. They'll feel the need to shore up their base before they branch out.

[Fire Walk With Me]

16. Someone wants the job:

[GiveMeFreedom]

20. +1 n/t

[dimbear]

22. OP: unlax. There's not a chance there's a new pope next week. These things take time. Lots of

time. There's oodles of politicking to be done, plus mountains of ceremonies to wade through.

[Posteritatis]

37. The last conclave only lasted a day and a half. (nt)

[demwing]

42. Bookmarked

[demwing]

50. And not 4 days later...

White Smoke.

VATICAN CITY — With a puff of white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and to the cheers of thousands of rain-soaked faithful, a gathering of Catholic cardinals picked a new pope from among their midst on Wednesday. The name of the new pope, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, by tradition would not be revealed until he appeared on a balcony on the front of St. Peter’s Basilica.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/14/world/europe/cardinals-elect-new-pope.html

[dimbear]

53. PWNED!

Good luck to Pope Franciscus.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

23. There's no risk of anyone anywhere near as bad as the Taliban, but I'm not optimistic.

There's a long, long space between "a decent person" and "as bad as the Taliban".

[sibelian]

24. What persuades you of this? nt

[hobbit709]

25. The pope has no relevance to me.

[no_hypocrisy]

26. Ignorance asking:

Can a Pope be chosen from someone Catholic outside the clergy? Or is it restricted to Cardinals?

[aristocles]

28. Cardinals only need apply.

In 1058, the papal bull In Nomine Domini restricted the selection of a pope to cardinals.

[no_hypocrisy]

29. Thanks. I wondered as a Supreme Court justice need not be a lawyer

although it couldn't hurt.

http://www.supremecourt.gov/faq.aspx

[Posteritatis]

36. That was rescinded about a century later

One of the popes in the 1500s wasn't even a priest or monk, though he was still in the church hierarchy, and an archbishop was in the running for awhile after Pius XII died.

The rule these days is basically "male Catholic, preferably alive," though obviously the overwhelming chunk of the tradition leans that towards cardinals. Cardinals are the only ones who can vote, but at the moment there isn't really anything codified that prevents them from selecting, say, the priest at the Catholic church down the street from my house (or hell, one of the altar boys).

[aristocles]

41. Did some more research. You're correct.

Any celibate Catholic male can be selected. If the candidate is not a priest, he is ordained as a bishop before becoming pope.

[davidpdx]

31. I'm not a big fan of the Catholic Church so I really don't care and neither should anyone else

They have tried to screw with the right to choose, women's health, and health care in general (and so many other issues). The US should stop bending over to appease the Catholic Church (I'm referring to those who have tried to pass laws against those issue which are mostly Republicans). The truth is the church doesn't give a shit about human rights, only making sure woman stay in the 12th century.

[Bluenorthwest]

32. It will be a sexist homophobic hypocrite. Which sexist homophobic hypocrite does not really

matter does it?

[hlthe2b]

33. If the pick is limited to the very Cardinals elevated by the past two Popes, it would seem...

the dye has been cast to continue in this same very regressive stance. Unless, by chance there has been one who has secreted his true beliefs and intent over the decades---something I'd find unlikely.

Choosing one from the very select (and pardon the apt comparison), "good ole boys" network.... pretty much ensures very little will change. At least there may be a chance for a "generational" change, for whatever that is worth.

[idwiyo]

40. Good. I hope the do find the most batshit crazy one.

[Arugula Latte]

51. I do, too. I think it will hasten the demise of the church.

And not a moment too soon.

[backscatter712]

47. I think I know who they're going to pick...

Make sure you altar boys stretch out those creamy hamstrings!

[Nye Bevan]

49. My bet is that it will be a dude who opposes abortion,

but weirdly does not understand that the best way to reduce abortion is to make contraception widely available.

[demwing]

52. I'm guessing it will be

someone Catholic? Not sure...

Be cool if they elected the Dalai Lama as Pope.