Do you think the Pope should resign?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100409/ap_on_re_us/us_pope_church_abuse

All roads lead to Rome, apparently

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8612457.stm

Why don't they sell all their booty....er, ah ... I mean 'trinkets' (priceless paintings, gold chazarai, jewels) at the Vatican and dedicate all the proceeds to the poor and the homeless. Wouldn't that be true charity on which the Vatican and Catholic church was supposed to be founded ?

Now that's criticism with which I can fully agree, but, again, there's no reason the Catholic Church should care.

There was a time when the Church was the sole source for preserving treasures of Western Civilization but that time passed long, long, ago.

There really is no consistency between its earthly riches and Christian philosophy. Those riches and the assumed majesty of the Pope are a manifestation of man's hunger for power, not the glory of God.

The Catholic Church has done much good in the world throughout history, but it could do a lot more good if it abided more closely to the teachings of Jesus.

As long as I deny that Jesus was no more God than any of the rest of us, I'll never be a Catholic, but if the Church did more good and less political crap, I would hold them in much higher esteem.

Not a reason though for the Pope to resign anymore than the corrupted purpose of labor unions should require all union bosses to resign.

It's up to the members of these organizations to hold their leaders accountable, and chances are pretty good that those calling for Benedict to quit are fine and dandy with the union bosses.

Stating over and over that the church as a church had been a force of good in history does not make it so.

In fact as far as history had shown it had been on the side of darkness far far more then the side of light from the first moment it had gain any worldly powers.

But keep making those statements and someone somewhere might buy into it.

I see your reasoning, Finn.

The vatican is not apt to react to my wishes, even if I were still a church member.
The people who might matter, the college of cardinals, are heavily skewed philosophically/theologically, as appointees. As I said earlier, or tried to, I don't think resignation proposed by others is anything but symbolism in any case, even if it happened - as the church culture runs deep. As mags said, the chances for thorough reevaluation seem dim.

Cut or even interfere with the money flow and the church will roll over for you.

They only began to address or care about the pedophile priests issue when they was both losing money in civil judgments and in the membership cutting back on donations.

The US Bishops Organization have zero standing under church law however as they control a large fraction of the money flow to the Vatican the Popes had bend over backward to made them happy.

Ever thus.

Since I have my own antique personal irritation (I'm at the amused state by now, as it has been nearly 50 years) with Ratzinger, I have a moment of being glad to see that link in black and white. But not really. I still would have left the church because of my own disbelief if John XXIII and his associates' ideas had gone forward, but I probably would have more respect than I do now. I still respect many good works done by many good individuals.

Alternately, I'm fairly phobic about people who do good to do good. Saint racking them up. My shoulders start to twinge. I'm the same about people who decide they want to be aesthetes and work toward it.

That's how it has worked for the USA.

I think the more interesting issue is: Would the resignation of the current Pope do more damage to the Church than his remaining in office or vice versa?

If by "the Church" you mean the institutional apparatus, the answer is "the Church", hands down. The precedent of a pope resigning would weaken this structure a lot. Not that I'd consider that a bad thing.

I'm not certain . . . I have been turning this issue over in my mind for several days. Sometimes, I think Benedict's resignation will damage the Church and, at other times, I think his remaining in office will.

From a PR point of view, I'll pick that he stays there.

I guess I have to add that I think toying with the pope resigning is near silly.


Unless he is ill anyway and it could work.

Do you think the Pope should resign?

Why don't we just shoot the son-of-a-bitch and be done with it? Somebody get on the phone to David . . .

bwahaha! Damage the church, you say?

He is an old old man so I am ill excused would work for him at any time and be somewhat face saving.

i was trying not to be dramatic. I was thinking of writing the word "end," but, decided that anything that has been around as long is not going to end over this after having survived schisms, heresies (notice the church defines those heresies . . . although some were pretty nutso) and more.

That made me laugh out loud.