Pope Benedict to resign

Saw that, and, natch, I agree.

(I was an intense catholic until I got to university and eventually worked my way out of it through of all things, theology, that argument between Kung and Ratzinger - one sunny day, it dawned on me it was all b.s. That had taken me a while to get to. But when I was seventeen, I was signed up as a postulant at a novitiate for certain nuns. Almost bought the shoes.. there were a couple of weeks to go before I had to buy them - but then, but then, I got a crush on this guy, and thought better of joining.)

I feel free to make fun, I paid for it in my youth, but I have known and still know many good people who are catholics.

I'll add that nuns vary.

I went to a private school from kindergarten to middle school. I still remember the ear tugging nun which I was assigned for first and second grade. Because of her, I was afraid to go to school. Oh how I despised her. But she was only one of the few bad apples in that school. Other nuns by far were one of the nicest women you could ever imagine.

Agree.

My favorite nun was Sister Mel. She wudda made a good pope. She took us out of class to teach us baseball, she being the pitcher. She wasn't at all a meanie. Taught two grades at once, about sixty kids. Ok, maybe 54.

A few weeks ago, a premium TV station, which I think was HBO, showed a long documentary on sexual abuse by priests. The pope had a prominent role in the film.

For quite a number of years, he headed an office in the Vatican that oversaw sexual abuse matters. He was very active in this role, and demanded that every allegation went to his desk. In general, the film was very critical of his lack of appropriate action against the priests and their enablers and defenders in the priesthood.

Advocate…that was Mea Maxima Culpa on HBO…truly one of the most disturbing documentaries I’ve ever viewed.

Love it.

I don't love it, complicated reasons.

Thanks! You obviously have a better memory than I do.

Weird factoid from QI

@qikipedia: In 1139, St Malachy prophesied that the next pope – the 266th, 'Peter the Roman' - will be the last http://t.co/cKpONe3g

In case any of you missed it - from wapo -


Leaked papers of a broken vatican -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/pope-benedict-xvis-leaked-documents-show-fractured-vatican-full-of-rivalries/2013/02/16/23ce0280-76c2-11e2-8f84-3e4b513b1a13_story.html


(the bilge is thicker than I had guessed)

Thanks Osso, interesting reading.

I start out sardonic and what do I get?
deeper, deeper, deeper in debt.

I find myself wondering why do I care, but, hey, I do. But the place I cared about early on never actually existed.

I've liked the odd pope or two or three in history, am not all hate, given the times. Some, super baddies.

Trying to remember who started ghettos - Pius something? early 1500's I think.

I figure Set knows all this stuff off hand.

C'mon, they were all of them odd, one way or another.

I liked sixtus V and the piccolomini pope, forget his papal name, for their design ability/interest (or disability if you hate goose foot street design, re sixtus). Also John XXIII, in my lifetime, but what do I know. I've also read stuff that made me reconsider the reviled Borgia pope, Alex VI - but that was just one book.

A friend, when she first stayed in italy, was a governess for the Barberini family. I know nothing about them, which is just as well, I'd probably be even more pissy. She liked the child she cared for, and of course history was not his fault.

Ah, that was Pius II.
wiki -
Pope Pius II inaugurated an unusual urban project, perhaps the first city planning exercise in modern Europe. He refurbished his home town which is now by his name called Pienza (province of Siena, Tuscany). A cathedral and palaces were built in the best style of the day to decorate the city. They survive to this day.

Piccicolmini was interesting for other reasons, see wiki re Pius II.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_II

The article kind of echoed Ceili's point about how hard it is for an institution that relied on cloistered secrecy to get on with it's business will find it tough in the 21st century. That Benedict pushed for more transparency and got blow back is not something I was aware of - and that contractors charge the vatican twice what they charge others and their tender process stinks was eye opening.

Really I'm not shocked that as an institution it's foundations are fraying, I'm amazed that it has lasted as long as it has, in human history that's a pretty rare achievement.