Should the Pope step down?
 

Stories coming out of Rome is that his health is getting worse. The vatacin isn't reporting on it.

Michael

no, my cousin will never step down

Nope, he did not accept Mother Teresa's resignation.

Scott

Nope. And it's "Vatican."

I saw a news bit a couple of days ago that they were thinking about installing a feeding tube.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/29/world/main683845.shtml

Vatacin - relieves Catholic pain fast!

No, they'll never find a replacement. :cool:

I think "dad" should hang in there as long as he can last...

If he steps down, he may fall straight into hell....

I don't think he has to step down at this point. They've already read him his last rights.

...or out of his window from which he so weakly waves.

If the Catholics cared at all about their public image, they'd put fresh blood in that window and under that cone-shaped hat. Entrenchment is the fastest way to downfall when it comes to popular or in the case of Catholicism, entrenched and forced-on trends.

Even if he did offer to resign, I highly doubt they would accept it.

Are some of you perhaps unaware of Pope John Paul II's contributions to the world over the past twenty-five years? Seriously. Do you understand that many historians credit him with singlehandedly averting WW3? Remember Lech Walensa and the Solidarity movement in Poland, and the Soviet clamping there, and the Pope's visit at that crucial moment?

Or is ignorantly slamming Catholicism just a lot more fun?

Who's being ignorant? Oh, and remember that one key bible verse.....For it is by faith that you are saved, not by works....... Seems they just seem to forget that part. Sure, he did some good stuff, so do Jimmy Carter qnd Jessee Jackson (well he tries)...hmmmmm. Catholocism is a religion founded by man to manipulate man....and make him feel guilty.

I dunno. But, if credit for avoiding a WW is the standard for respect, what about your ignorantly slamming Bush?

I am not sure if he can step down. I don't think there are current provisions for retiring, so I think the appointment is for life.

You have an interesting view of this man and the Catholic religion. I think I will have to increase my fiber content in order to get more regular - you have made my sphincter pucker to the point that my bowels won't be the same for weeks!

Did some good stuff? OK - good. More leaders should do "good stuff".

Let me ask you this, what religion doesn't look to manipulate its followers? Heck, what company doesn't? What wife or Mother doesn't? Anytime you have a passion for a certain belief you will have manipulation occur - politics are the best example. It is called the human condition.

Sometimes that part is indeed forgotten. Another passage that is often overlooked is the one about faith, true faith, naturally resulting in good works. We do not see into others' hearts but we do see their works. And it is not for us to judge of course, but we sometimes cannot help but draw certain assumptions about others' degree of faith, according to the works we see. The closer you look at Pope JPII the more you get a certain vision of what his faith life must have been.

(I hope some of you are sitting down for this next one because you may feel lightheaded due to the surprize content:) Superman sometimes makes unkind assumptions about the charity, or lack thereof, of certain political leaders. Part of that tendency on my part relates to my cut on the general level of selflessness (or again, lack thereof) that naturally occurs in humans. And I assert there are very few exceptions. Very very very exceedingly few. But there are exceptions. Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa were cut from the same bolt of cloth. And it's not the same bolt that most of the rest of us are cut from. We all deserve the stinging criticism I dish out here. But they do not.

So, I'd not discourage you from flaming folks like Superman or Dubya. But I'd caution you to be very careful here in this thread.

Naw, personal attacks on fellow Pelicanites are not good. We don't all have to believe the same things, except for when it comes to P-cars :) Wait, then we get into the long-hood vs. late 911 debate...

or else. . .. ?