Pope Francis gets a used car. Oh, and priestly celibacy's up for discussion. And...

[MannyGoldstein]

While the rest of our world leaders seem to be insane, the Pope's gotten quite a bit done in a few months. So what's been going on in the few days since leading a fast for peace in Syria?

He's still living in the hotel, but got himself some (not-so-)new wheels, which he intends to drive himself. Manual, of course.



Pope Francis’ newest ride: A 29-year-old beater with 186,000 miles

The Church's Secretary of State now says that priestly celibacy is on the table. I didn't know that the Pope hisself had suggested this a year ago.

On the down-to-earth front, he's pranking people who write him or who are otherwise in need. He calls them. Himself. Can you imagine how freaky it is to get a call from the Pope?

"One of them, Michele Ferri, told CBS News about a recent conversation. Ferri wrote a letter to the Pope in a moment of rage; but was shocked when she picked up the phone and heard:"'Hi Michele, this is Pope Francis.'"

I never imagined that the Pope would call me on my cell phone," said Ferri. "I thought I would get a form letter perhaps. But never a phone call."

Reportedly, the Pope called a divorced pregnant woman and offered to baptized her baby; she wrote to the pontiff when her boyfriend pressured her to have an abortion. There were also reports that Francis also responded to a rape survivor's letter.

This Pope seems to be showing us how world leaders lead: Right thought, right words, right actions.

(Maybe he's even listening to that album. Heck, maybe he played drums on a track or two.)

In any case, this Jewboy is mighty impressed.

[bluedigger]

1. Wow.

That's really clean for a 186,000 miles.

[KittyWampus]

3. 186,000 - the speed of light. A meaningless coincidence? I think not.

[MannyGoldstein]

36. But 300,000 kilometers per hour

Wouldn't it be funny if he put 140k miles on it?

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Italy.

But I'll bet the interior's pretty rough from the sun.

[Buns_of_Fire]

68. I imagine they'd clean it up a bit, since it's for the Pope and all.

I'd probably even be moved to vacuum out the Cheetos from behind the rear seats.

[Autumn]

2. The guy is alright in my book.

This ex Catholic is mighty impressed.

[LittleBlue]

5. Best. Pope. Ever.

Catholics must be facepalming that they voted for Ratzinger instead of this guy

[KittyWampus]

6. like an alcoholic hitting bottom, maybe.

[LittleBlue]

7. Yep

Benedict sure helped Francis, though. Just acting like a normal person makes Francis seem like a saint by comparison.

[Brigid]

48. Lay Catholics don't elect the Pope.

The College of cardinals does. Not trying to start an argument here, just stating how it works.

[LittleBlue]

50. That's what I meant by "they"

I know they don't hold worldwide elections because I was one once, and I never got a ballot

[Brigid]

52. I've never gotten a ballot either.

[jsr]

8. Wait, there's more: Pope Francis tells atheists to abide by their own consciences

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/11/pope-francis-atheists-abide-consciences

Pope Francis tells atheists to abide by their own consciences
God's mercy has no limits, says pope in 2,500-word letter to Italian newspaper answering questions from non-believer
Lizzy Davies in Rome

As letters to the editor go, it was certainly out of the ordinary, stretching to more than 2,500 words and not one of them veering on the irate or indignant. But the missive received by Eugenio Scalfari, co-founder and former editor of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, nonetheless made it into print on Wednesday – on the front page and under the impressively brief byline of "Francesco".

Responding to a series of questions asked in the summer by Scalfari, who describes himself as an interested "non-believer", Pope Francis used his trademark conciliatory tone to discuss the Catholic church's attitude to atheists, urging those who do not share his faith to "abide by their own conscience" and reminding them God's mercy "has no limits".

Expressing the belief that it was important for Christians to engage in "a sincere and rigorous dialogue" with atheists, Francis recalled Scalfari had asked him whether God forgave those "who do not believe and do not seek to believe".

"Given – and this is the fundamental thing – that God's mercy has no limits, if He is approached with a sincere and repentant heart," the pope wrote, "the question for those who do not believe in God is to abide by their own conscience. There is sin, also for those who have no faith, in going against one's conscience. Listening to it and abiding by it means making up one's mind about what is good and evil."

[AtheistCrusader]

22. Hahaha my Protestant friends are going at my Catholic friends about this, on facebook.

They're all like WHHHHHHAAAAT? HAS THIS POPE EVEN READ TEH BIBLE?!

It's pretty hilarious to watch.

[bobduca]

72. Bible Schmible

as an ex-catholic, the bible was not as important as it is with protestantism... where anyone and everyone can read random passages without context and apply any part to any situation!! :-D at least catholics admit that you need the historical context for interpreting what the bible means.... as a rational atheist i appreciate that intellectual honesty.

[BlueCheese]

9. He also demanded that a statue of him in Argentina be taken down.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/pope-francis-demands-statue-removed-article-1.1396086

[liberal_at_heart]

19. humbleness. I thought that character trait didn't exist anymore.

[CTyankee]

61. cool beans. When will women get their due recognition in the church...and I do mean

priesthood, not servitude...I'm hearing crickets from the Pope...

[BeyondGeography]

10. Cool little car...I rented one in Portugal many years ago

Shift was on the dash and I grew quite fond of its ability to squeeze through virtually any tight European space. Until I tried taking it between the corner of an old stone church and the town wall. Front made it through but not so the rear half of the car. They were cool about it at the airport.

[darkangel218]

34. lmao!!! you crushed your rental!!

In Europe, 8 out of 10 Americans damage their rental vehicles

[BeyondGeography]

37. Really wanted to make it around that church

It would have been so cool...

[darkangel218]

38. Lulz!!!

The streets over there are even smaller than they look. Its impossible not to at least scratch the car.

I've done it several times, until I finally gave up renting. It got expensive losing my deposit.

[Barack_America]

11. And now non-believers can get into heaven.

If they follow their consciences.

Sweet. This is what I've been banking on.

[vanlassie]

21. !!!

[vlakitti]

27. Yay! Funny!

A very cool attitude you and the Pope both have.

[SwampG8r]

12. lets be fair about it

if you are jewish then him making you impressed is good
he works for a jewish guy don't forget

[MannyGoldstein]

15. You mean the my peeps in the underground center that controls the media?

Oh... that other guy, Joshua the Christ.

[SwampG8r]

17. he was a nice boy

he always looked out for his mother

[SwampG8r]

13. add to say as popes go i like this guy

my wife has been away from the church for 40 years because of the rules concerning me and my not feeling a need to convert
this is a pope acting in a way I can accept
perhaps perhaps perhaps

[No Vested Interest]

24. No need to convert. Children?

Now that's a different story.

[alittlelark]

14. I started singing his praises soon after he was in office....

.... the threads got ugly quick. I think he is the real deal.

VERY lapsed Catholic atheist here, but I respect the dude!

[MannyGoldstein]

16. I saw that, it was ugly

When I heard that the first thing he did as Pope, going out on the terrace to say "hi", caused a furor because he refused to wear the Superman cape that was part of the uniform, I had a funny feeling...

[SheilaT]

18. Damn. He should have called me.

I'd have gotten him into a Honda Civic, because I'm an absolute expert at buying them.

I participated in the purchase (for me or for several other people) of a total of 8 Honda Civics in just over two years. If anyone reading this lives in the Kansas City area, PM me and I'll tell you my favorite car dealerships there, because I've been to a lot of them.

Added on edit:

Oh, and very good for him for buying a manual transmission. That's all I'll drive myself. I've decided that when I can no longer drive a stick (and I'm already 65) then I'll know it's time to give up driving.

[coldmountain]

31. I'd have gotten him a union built car like one of our fine UAW cars such as Chevy Volt & Ford Focus

Honda like most JapanInc companies are anti-union and anti minority with no high ranking blacks, Hispanics or women.

[bklyncowgirl]

57. He was using a Ford Focus for a while--maybe it was a little too upscale.

Apparently that was a Vatican fleet car. Seems like His Holiness wants his own wheels and it also sounds like he intends to drive it himself. How does he get a driver's license? Does the Vatican have its own DMV or will he have to get one in Rome?

[DeSwiss]

20. Unfortunately, he'll probably have no problem.....

...getting rid of the old Pope's ride:



- K&R

[AtheistCrusader]

23. Is that a london taxi?

[tblue37]

25. Bill Mahr is convinced that this pope is secretly an atheist. nt

[BainsBane]

26. For centuries celibacy meant only a prohibition on marriage

so as to preserve the Church's wealth. Priests regularly had live-in mistresses. If you've watched the Borgias, you know that some popes did as well. Only in the past 150 years or so has celibacy come to mean abstaining from sex. It's an impractical provision that could never work as imagined on paper.

Now, I would like to see them ordain women. That, it seems, is too radical for the old codgers in the College of Cardinals.

[WCGreen]

71. Yep, they didn't want the ownership of Church's assets to be put into risk...

Back when I was a practicing, I had a really good talk to my catechism class when I was in 10th grade.

I was never confirmed and my mother was starting a battle with cancer and I felt I owed her something and so I went to learn how to be confirmed.

Well, after about two months, I gave up and years later, when we knew she was dying, she asked me why I hated the church and I said I don't hate the church I just don't agree with some of positions of the church.

[Humanist_Activist]

28. You do realize you are lauding a misogynistic, homophobic...

asshole. Right thoughts indeed.

[theHandpuppet]

33. +1

Thanks for the reality check.

[MannyGoldstein]

35. He's about where Obama was a few months ago on homosexuality

He's moved the Church several hundred years in a few months. I think he'll move it further, and quick - he'll want to memorialize his gains so the next Pope can't regress.

Less clear on women, it's true.

[theHandpuppet]

39. Yeah but it matters little

Since women only make up half the world.

Don't really need the sarcasm thingy here, do I?

[MannyGoldstein]

42. My bad, here...

He's also looking to elevate the role of women: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/07/30/pope-francis-is-right-its-time-for-a-theology-of-women/

Also, given that the Pope is elected by Cardinals, on a scale from 1-10, where would you put this Pope? 10 is as good as possible, 1 is as bad as possible?

[theHandpuppet]

44. To be honest...

I didn't find much in that article that spoke to exactly what this Pope intends to do with regards to full equality for women, even in his own church.

As for ranking Popes, no thanks. Considering the millions upon millions who have suffered and died in the name of the church, asking me to rank Popes would be akin to asking me to rank the worlds most prominent fascists throughout history. I know you didn't intend it that way, but I find the whole notion of "ranking" Popes to be a bit bizarre.

[Tom Rinaldo]

45. Right. Make it a ten. Those Cardinals were all selected by the last two Popes

The future has the potential for even more profound change if Francis lives long enough and is able to select what will become a majority of the Cardinals himself. I doubt he will recognize women as priests while Pope himself, and if I had to guess I would say the next Pope won't either. But if he too is relatively open minded the Cardinals who select the Pope after that might choose the Pope who finally will.

I am most impressed by this Pope's simplicity and his attitude toward "non-believers".

[theHandpuppet]

58. Whoopdee doo!!!

Never mind this Pope has done nothing to lift the oppression -- by the church -- of millions of women, not to mention LGBTs, he drives a used car!

Let's all party!!!

[Humanist_Activist]

46. He has changed nothing about the Church on Homosexuality...

And don't compare Obama to him, that is an insult to the president.

Your post displays gross ignorance of traditional(and still bigoted) Catholic teachings on homosexuality. This man thinks same sex couples who adopt commit child abuse, as far as I'm aware of, Obama was never this regressive. I could go on, but why don't you educate yourself about this man before you lionize him?

[MannyGoldstein]

49. Thanks.

I didn't realize the things he's said about adoption by gay couples. You're right in that he seems to be more regressive than Obama was.

But saying that he won't judge gay clergy is huge, no? If a priest was to come out now, could he be defrocked? I'd think not.

It also sends an important message, I think.

[Humanist_Activist]

56. Not as big as people make it...

The Church has never thought that orientation matters, being homosexual isn't the issue, acting on it is. Celibacy, therefore, is required by all priests, and all laypersons who aren't married. Of course, he also thinks that same sex marriage is from "the Prince of Lies", and he told the President of Argentina that she shouldn't lead because she is a woman, this was back when she was a candidate. You should reseach his years before he was Pope.

[NCarolinawoman]

59. Like turning a large aircraft carrier around....

ever so slowly and carefully. This is what I am hoping for.

[yodermon]

65. how does his homophobia compare to past popes?

what I'm hoping is that these other reforms he's introducing will produce a sort of "inertia" that will let progressive (non-homophobic) Catholics gain influence... who knows what the church leadership might look like in a decade or 2.

(I will admit that being a straight male, that was all very easy for me to type).

[Humanist_Activist]

73. To the past two? About the same...

maybe even a little worse, compared to JP2.

What I see, in thread after thread about this Pope is a gross ignorance of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and what it teaches on homosexuality. People say he's a reformer, when, after actually reading or listening to what he is saying, he's reiterating doctrine that has been articulated since the 1960s.

[avaistheone1]

29. He is the most Christ-like pope to come along in my lifetime so far.

He appears to walking the path of Jesus that the Catholic church is supposed to be built on.

I hope he keeps walking the talk.

He seems like a good and kind man. I wish him peace, health and success in his mission.

[coldmountain]

30. If the Pope drives that then Jesus must drive a Deux Chevaux

[eridani]

32. So what did Ms. Ferri reply?

"OOOOkay! Who is it REALLY?"

[xchrom]

40. du rec.

[Sgent]

41. Women clergy is a tough one

and I don't think it will ever change -- there is just too much ex cathera discussion on that issue.

That being said, it wouldn't surprise me to see women religious taking on a much larger role -- even being elected as cardinals or holding other senior positions in church leadership.

The problem is that its a major, unchangeable, infallible tenant of faith that the sacraments must be performed by a male. However, other than performing sacraments there is no restriction on women -- meaning that they cannot serve as bishops but could serve as cardinals, as secular heads of the church and associated enterprises, etc.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

43. Picture this: You're driving along somewhere in Rome, you come to a stop, you look over...

...and it's the Pope. He rolls down the window and asks,

"Pardon me....do you have any Grey Pope-on?"



In all seriousness, I love the new populist bent of this Pope and I love that married clergy might be on the table. I'd love even more for ordination of women to also be on the table, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Still, things have definitely gone in a very positive direction since this new Pope came to town.

[No Vested Interest]

47. The times they are a'changing...

As a child I attended a grade school named for then Pope Pius XII, who was a friend of our pastor while both studied in Rome.
So we students were familiar with photos of the Pope being carried in a chair held aloft by a quartet of men.

Now, today we see a photo of our current Pope Francis, a man of his times, ready to drive his new-to-him car throughout the streets of the Vatican.

I love it!

[PoliticAverse]

51. President of Uruguay's car...

http://www.bellanaija.com/2012/09/27/meet-the-poorest-president-in-the-world-uruguayan-president-jose-mujica-drives-a-volkswagen-beetle-donates-90-of-his-salary-to-charity/

[gopiscrap]

53. I have been quite impressed with him also

specially compared to Benny! He still has a long ways to go, specially on women's issues, but he seems to be headed in the right direction which is change from 2005

[snappyturtle]

54. Good for him and good for the world! nt

[Rex]

55. Holyshit! A practical, yet not pragmatic Pope?

nt.

[CTyankee]

60. Yawn. Wake me when he calls for women's equality in the church...

zzzz

[forestpath]

66. +1000. And stops being a homophobe.

[nyquil_man]

62. How about a Vatican III, while we're at it?

[Owl]

63. Cool Pope-mobile!

[nadinbrzezinski]

64. I said it early on... we either got a liberal

or worst (if you are a Dominican or Opus Dei type), a Liberation theologian.

[TalkingDog]

67. <3

[MellowDem]

69. The Pope is a homophobic misogynist bigot....

and the head of an institution that ignores child rape and spreads ignorance and misery to millions, and treats women as second class citizens, and is actively involved in taking away women's and homosexual's rights, and pushes a despicable and harmful method of thought, where one should follow a vengeful, hateful, tyrannical God based on no evidence.

And you're impressed the guy drives a used fucking car? Or is wiling to merely discuss a sexually oppressive practice that any numb nut knows is terrible for any human to impose on themselves? Seriously!!!???

Religious privilege is great stuff. It's why you don't see DUers slobbering all over a local KKK leader because he recycles. Or get very excited about how the new white supremacist in town says he thinks other races are not below his, just different, and should be separate. I mean, this is exciting news guys! I'm really liking this new KKK leader!

I don't get excited when a bigoted organization that is dying, and needs your money and support, learns how to do PR and changes their message accordingly. All you have to do is look at the core beliefs of this institution.

And it's pretty fucking disgusting when an ignorant bigot that leads such a terrible institution and believes the bigotry himself and helps actively harm loved ones I know is praised on DU for meaningless shit. It's privilege at its best.

[Beacool]

70. Coolest Pope in my lifetime.

I wish him a long life.