Pope Benedict XVI resigns.

So Joseph Ratzinger, our 265th Pope and known as Pope Benedict XVI, is resigning due to health reasons. Fun Fact, He's the first pope since Gregory XII in 1415 to resign.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/...ion/index.html

I wonder who the College of Cardinals will select to be the next Pope and what stances he will take. Also, I wonder what name he'll take as a Pope. (I'll probably have to explain the importance of that to the non-Catholics/less knowledgeable Catholics, but I'll do that if need be later.) I'm kinda hoping the next Pope selects John Paul III, though.

Its because Vader attacked him to protect Luke.

I bet his body is falling apart due to all the overuse of the Dark Side.

Interesting indeed. I do imagine it's something health related, but not just age, probably something pretty sudden and relatively fast acting. Be it an illness of the mind or body. There are people who are suggesting a scandal of some sort, but I honestly don't know what would be bad enough to get the pope to resign, considering all the scandals in the last decade or so.

Wasn't he a nazi though? Sorry if I offend but I heard he was.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kumagawa

Wasn't he a nazi though? Sorry if I offend but I heard he was.

---

They're all Nazis.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kumagawa

Wasn't he a nazi though? Sorry if I offend but I heard he was.

---

Kinda, For a short period of time he was a member of the Hitler Youth, as required by law back then, and forced to serve as a Luftwaffenhelfer until he deserted as the Allied forces invaded. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Be...927.E2.80.9351

Can't help that he was forced to serve with the only options being death or encampment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeathBlade/13.666

Can't help that he was forced to serve with the only options being death or encampment.

---

I'd still hold people accountable. Some things are worse than death or encampment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rylingo

I'd still hold people accountable. Some things are worse than death or encampment.

---

Meh, to each his/her own. But you can't tell me you'd do anything different without knowing the times nor the circumstances.

Slightly off topic, but I find it funny that this forum is where I get most of my news.... This is actually the first I've heard of this.

Here's another fact, the Catholic Church is actually the Roman Empire as the title pontifex comes from the roman emperors so to conclude the Roman Empire never really ended it just evolved into a religious organisation instead. It's almost like Pokemon in a way lol.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aether

Here's another fact, the Catholic Church is actually the Roman Empire as the title pontifex comes from the roman emperors so to conclude the Roman Empire never really ended it just evolved into a religious organisation instead. It's almost like Pokemon in a way lol.

---

Well you can't forget about the Holy Roman Empire.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aether

Here's another fact, the Catholic Church is actually the Roman Empire as the title pontifex comes from the roman emperors so to conclude the Roman Empire never really ended it just evolved into a religious organisation instead. It's almost like Pokemon in a way lol.

---

Even if it does come from that I doubt you can call it the Roman Empire (?). It's like I would call the midsummers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer for a sacrificial feast (since in it's history there have been sacrificals) even if we don't do such things anymore.



Hahah, pokemon. http://elouai.com/images/yahoo/09.gif

I wonder who the clergymen now will choose?

xD *dies*

---------- Post added at 04:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:53 PM ----------

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeathBlade/13.666

Can't help that he was forced to serve with the only options being death or encampment.

---

Can't someone say no to being the pope?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SuXrys

Can't someone say no to being the pope?

---

I assume that's an available option, but I don't think anyone has ever done it yet. It like saying no to becoming the President of the United States after winning the election.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeathBlade/13.666

Well you can't forget about the Holy Roman Empire.

---

The Holy Roman Empire has nothing to do with the Roman Empire actually lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aether

The Holy Roman Empire has nothing to do with the Roman Empire actually lol

---

True, but it's still an important part of the history. And it helps explain the way things are in the church now and days.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeathBlade/13.666

True, but it's still an important part of the history. And it helps explain the way things are in the church now and days.

---

Very true that

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aether

Here's another fact, the Catholic Church is actually the Roman Empire as the title pontifex comes from the roman emperors so to conclude the Roman Empire never really ended it just evolved into a religious organisation instead. It's almost like Pokemon in a way lol.

---

Yes, you can think of it like that.
In fact, the Church's power at it's hight was far greater then that of Roman Empire.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nrL

In fact, the Church's power at it's hight was far greater then that of Roman Empire.

---

Wow no shit
There's like, 2 billion people on earth who are christian and listen to the pope

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kumagawa

Wow no shit
There's like, 2 billion people on earth who are christian and listen to the pope

---

Implying all Christians are catholic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeathBlade/13.666

Meh, to each his/her own. But you can't tell me you'd do anything different without knowing the times nor the circumstances.

---

Honestly, I think Id have ended up in a camp. Not through a heroic act, though. I'm not usually heroic. More likely through being obstinate about the little things. Probably by being rude to a Nazi soldier. I've never had respect for authority and I think it would have gotten me bumped off early in a truly boring (and possibly humiliating) way.

There were priests who stood up to the Nazi's though. Most of them died. I can't but help think all of them were superior to Ratzinger.

I had hoped that since the Nazi's had persecuted gay people during the 2nd world war that Ratzinger would ease the Catholic church's opposition to gay couples. I guess some lessons have never truly been learned. His firm position on animal cruelty was appreciated though.
He wasn't the worst pope ever, but he wasn't a good one either.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rylingo

Honestly, I think Id have ended up in a camp. Not through a heroic act, though. I'm not usually heroic. More likely through being obstinate about the little things. Probably by being rude to a Nazi soldier. I've never had respect for authority and I think it would have gotten me bumped off early in a truly boring (and possibly humiliating) way.

There were priests who stood up to the Nazi's though. Most of them died. I can't but help think all of them were superior to Ratzinger.

I had hoped that since the Nazi's had persecuted gay people during the 2nd world war that Ratzinger would ease the Catholic church's opposition to gay couples. I guess some lessons have never truly been learned. His firm position on animal cruelty was appreciated though.
He wasn't the worst pope ever, but he wasn't a good one either.

---

Yes, you can postulate what you would do in a hypothetical situation. But in the end it's still a hypothetical situation with no real merit in reality. And hypothetically, if a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his rear when he hopped.

As for "Those priests", You should keep in mind that he was just a boy and they were men. You can't tell me you'd expect a teenage boy, any teenage boy, or every teenage boy to lay his life on the line like the many adults that had done so during the '30s and '40s.

As for his stances while being a Pope, I can't say I agree with every one of them either. Me and the College of Cardinals haven't seen eye-to-eye in years, let alone me and the Pope.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nrL

Yes, you can think of it like that.
In fact, the Church's power at it's hight was far greater then that of Roman Empire.

---

Nobody suspects the Spanish Inquisition

He can't stop being pope untill HE'S DEAD! SWISS GUARDS, SHARPEN THE HALBREADS!

He has not constructed additional pylons