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Suggests an establishment candidate emerged...
Apparently they've picked the guy who came second to Ratzinger and he's 76... so, we'll be having a rinse/repeat of this in the next 5-10 years then...
The Archbishop of Buenos Aires Argentina
Or perhaps he'll live to 96 and GO MAD WITH POWER!!
They went with the conservative choice again. Not much chance for the liberal wing for the next decade or so, still.
Well... he *is* a Jesuit. As a friend of mine said, 'look busy'...
There's not been much chance for the liberal wing since JP2 and Ratzinger started picking the cardinals.
There will be a new pope inside of a decade I suspect, and they'll probably be a conservative, but then things might start to shift.
There will be a new pope inside of a decade I suspect, and they'll probably be a conservative, but then things might start to shift.
There are conservatives and there are conservatives. He's at least got some solid social justice credentials AFAICT, though I noticed that B16 didn't get a lot of attention in the US when he, e.g., pushed back on the death penalty. That whole "life is sacred from conception to natural death" is far more often used against abortion and assisted suicide than against capital punishment.
He certainly seems to have social justice creds. Apparently he lives in a small apartment, cooks for himself and uses public transportation. Those things alone are probably sending chills down the spines of a bunch of the Rome establishment.
I can understand somebody taking the life from conception stand, even if I don't. I don't remotely understand the 'natural death' argument on any level. I've several Doctor friends, one of whom recently had to deal with a parent with terminal cancer, and there really isn't anything natural about death.
It shocks me that on the whole we treat our pets with more humanity than humans.
I can understand somebody taking the life from conception stand, even if I don't. I don't remotely understand the 'natural death' argument on any level. I've several Doctor friends, one of whom recently had to deal with a parent with terminal cancer, and there really isn't anything natural about death.
It shocks me that on the whole we treat our pets with more humanity than humans.
Is there a liberal wing? Didn't look like it to me!
That's mostly due to JP2 and Ratzinger having been in charge of picking Cardinals for a long time. Anybody with liberal leanings has been weeded out.
It's like the Supreme Court in the US really.
It's like the Supreme Court in the US really.
He's missing a lung, according to reports, from a teenage illness. He may end up being a JP1...
Given some of the other options...
The Church has an acknowledged place for ascetics as long as they are heterodox in their beliefs. I doubt he would or could enforce asceticism on his ex-fellows in the College or attempt to sell off the Vatican silver to feed the poor.
A former Hitler Youth is succeeded by someone who moved to Argentina.
Nope, not creepy at all.
Nope, not creepy at all.
It's even worse than the Supreme Court. Justices can always try to hold on until the next presidential election, but Cardinals effectively have a mandatory retirement age.
Ha! Good point.
If he's lived with one lung for six decades or so, what's another one or two?
As I understand it they've also pushing priest and cardinal retirements too because they're concerned about numbers... Of course, there's always the horizontal retirement option too.
Clearly his long history of being a lackey for military dictators gave him an edge over those who were jus philosophically fascist.
The difference between 70 and 80 medically speaking is a lot greater than the difference between 60 and 70. He'll have the best of medical care, of course, but the sheer endurance required of a Pope these days is going to take its toll unless he becomes a recluse like many of the Popes from previous centuries who rarely left the Vatican, never mind travelled the world.
Ain't Wikipedia wonderful?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ages_of_popes
Updated already, Francis I is listed as the ninth oldest pope at election since 1295. None of his cohort in that list lasted more than 9 years and I don't think any of them were missing a lung to start with.
Ain't Wikipedia wonderful?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ages_of_popes
Updated already, Francis I is listed as the ninth oldest pope at election since 1295. None of his cohort in that list lasted more than 9 years and I don't think any of them were missing a lung to start with.
I suspect we'll find out if he tries by how soon we have the next election :)
He also did well in the "doesn't look like a Sith Lord" category.
The Grauniad breakdown of cardinals listed him as one of the minority of "Moderates" (there were three categories: moderate, conservative, and ultra-conservative). For practical purposes hoping for someone more liberal than Francis assumes access to a different spacetime continuum.
At his age, even if he puts emphasis on some form of new direction (most likely related to social justice) the most to expect would be a "transitional" papacy. On the other hand, John XXIII's papacy lasted less than 5 years.
At his age, even if he puts emphasis on some form of new direction (most likely related to social justice) the most to expect would be a "transitional" papacy. On the other hand, John XXIII's papacy lasted less than 5 years.
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