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A time to cast away shoes/ A time to gather shoes together
So, El Papa's not doing so well. The Vatican denies claims that he's slipped into a coma. But what if he were to do so? Here's what I know/think I know about the beliefs and desires of Juan Pablo II:
- Life is sacred. Keep me alive at all costs.
- As long as I'm alive, I'm the Pope.
Who's going to make the decisions if God's telephone to Earth is on the fritz? Will a sub-pope be chosen? Will someone put their ear close to his comaey mouth and listen for advice? Will all sort of splinter groups form, some who want to follow his shoe and some who want to follow his gourd and some who will want to take off shoes and some who will want to gather shoes together? Isn't there some kind of system in place? How has this Church made it this far?
srah - Friday, 1 April 2005 - 7:43 AM
Tags: philosophy & religion
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Comments (14)
srah - April 1, 2005 - 8:58 AM - ℓ
Riiiiiight, I guess. Something like that. If you believe that the Catholic Church is the One True Faith, I guess you can go with that.
I was talking more in terms of organizational structure. Since the whole thing is based on one person making rules based on his interpretation of God's Word, what happens when he's out of commission? Then whose interpretation do you follow? I'm saying there ought to be policy about this kind of thing, or there's the danger of chaos.
Not a Catholic - April 1, 2005 - 9:44 AM - ℓ
I am of the opinion that the Pope should have passed the staff on to someone else a year or two ago when he started being so sick. He should be allowed to die in peace.
He must be a publicity addict if he wants the world to know every time he gets a UTI or can't feed himself. I don't know the way the system works, but can't he just resign? Or is he stuck as Pope for life?
Anonymous - April 1, 2005 - 11:23 AM - ℓ
srah
1 April 2005 - 8:58:37 AM Riiiiiight, I guess. Something like that. If you believe that the Catholic Church is the One True Faith, I guess you can go with that.
Actually God works no matter the subject be Protestant or Catholic. The situation, though, has been that the Pope has been able to carry out his papal duties to the extent neccesary and there is centuries-long tradition as to the process of papal selection. After a time of mourning the cardinals will sequestered until the "smoke turns white". It is highly unlikely that an american cardinal will be named.
Not a Catholic - April 1, 2005 - 11:39 AM - ℓ
A friend suggested that the Pope situation is similar to Weekend at Bernie's and thinks the Popelets are moving him around and may even have strings or sticks attached to make him appear to be waving. We only see him from the chest up.
ME - April 1, 2005 - 1:02 PM - ℓ
i like the pope, cuz the pop smokes dope
Anonymous - April 1, 2005 - 2:04 PM - ℓ
For the first time ever, though undisclosed, Pope JP II had written instructions as to what steps were to be taken should he be incapacitated.
jday - April 1, 2005 - 2:58 PM - ℓ
If George W. Bush is the holiest leader in the land and our next religious role model, let me die now.... Forget it, I'm moving to another country until 2008!
Lazaro - April 1, 2005 - 4:07 PM - ℓ
I believe the College of Cardinals ends up making the decisions for him. I'm not Catholic and I don't know exactly how it works, but there's definitely a system (see any book on Church history--especially Cornwell's "Hitler's Pope," and "The Godfather, Part III"). He's not married and I'm pretty sure his parents have "passed on," so there's none of that Schiavo foolishness.
Okay, that wasn't very funny. My apologies.
katie - April 4, 2005 - 7:16 PM - ℓ
Q: How has this Church made it this far?
A: Things have really gone downhill for them since the split. Click here for a Catholic perspective, here (scroll down to section with heading: Eleventh Century Divisions) for an Orthodox perspective, and here (scroll down to section with heading: The Great Schism) for a Protestant perspective (I think).
My personal favorite is the Protestant one because it is so thorough, unbiased, honest and clear. At very least read that one. It is the neutral, outside point of view.
Katie now tiptoes away before doing any damage to what might otherwise be considered a first for her: a balanced, neutral, (almost) inoffensive religion-related comment.
Q: How has this Church made it this far?
A: God