Election of the New Pope

[BetteDavisEyes]

I'm not saying we shouldn't discuss him & his papacy. I'm saying that first we need to see how he plans on running things.
His positions have always been clear but how can you compare the philosophies of a young adult to a 78 year old man?

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by AXiD670
Neither of the ladies in my office who are Catholic were able to answer this, so I thought I'd come here to GC.

Does the new pope get to pick his own name, or is there some sort of assigning process? I was just curious why he would pick Benedict XVI instead of something like John Paul III (for example) or whatever.

After the new Pope is elected by the College of Cardinals, two questions are asked him in Latin: "Do you accept election?" and "By which name do you wish to be called?" He can either choose his own name or any previous Pontiff's name.

Cardinal Ratzinger selected Benedictus XVI (Benedict XVI), as he was ordained in the Order of St. Benedict (O.S.B.) - the Benedictine monks.

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by chideltjen
I thought they were allowed to pick their own name... but I could be wrong.

It's actually the first thing they do after accepting the election -- pick the name they will use.

Originally posted by honeychile
Not being a Catholic, I have no real "dog in this fight", but doesn't it bother anyone that the former Cardinal Ratzinger was a member of the Hitler Youth? This is far from the only quote I could find about his involvement.

Hmmm. Grains of salt called for, I would think.

According to reports I have read, Ratzinger's father was a policeman, and his family had to move in 1932 because of his father's outspoken criticism of the Nazis. While that doesn't necessarily mean the son wasn't in the Hitler Youth (we all have our teenage rebellions), I would be more willing to trust the allegation if it was in a real news source.

I think it's clear that this is a "stay-the-course" election. And as much as I know lots of people would have liked to see female priests, for example, that simply wasn't going to happen, given the pool of candidates. Married priests, maybe, but not female priests.

ETA: I found this story in the Times of London on Ratzinger's Hitler Youth involvement.

A few things worth noting:

The son of a rural Bavarian police officer, Ratzinger was six when Hitler came to power in 1933. His father, also called Joseph, was an anti-Nazi whose attempts to rein in Hitler’s Brown Shirts forced the family to move home several times.

In 1937 Ratzinger’s father retired and the family moved to Traunstein, a staunchly Catholic town in Bavaria close to the Führer’s mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden. He joined the Hitler Youth aged 14, shortly after membership was made compulsory in 1941.

He quickly won a dispensation on account of his training at a seminary. “Ratzinger was only briefly a member of the Hitler Youth and not an enthusiastic one,” concluded John Allen, his biographer.


This part was a little more troubling to me:

Two years later Ratzinger was enrolled in an anti-aircraft unit that protected a BMW factory making aircraft engines. The workforce included slaves from Dachau concentration camp.

Ratzinger has insisted he never took part in combat or fired a shot — adding that his gun was not even loaded — because of a badly infected finger. He was sent to Hungary, where he set up tank traps and saw Jews being herded to death camps. He deserted in April 1944 and spent a few weeks in a prisoner of war camp.

It is something, though, that he deserted and spent time in a POW camp.

[BetteDavisEyes]

Originally posted by dekeguy
=================
In any case he has a hard job ahead of him and we would do well to ask for help and guidance for him. Oremus!

I'm raising my glass in your direction here. Good answer!

[roqueemae]

Originally posted by dekeguy
=================

One key bit to consider is that he is considered to be shy and gentle in his approach. He is a strict conservative but apparently finds it difficult to be gratuituously hard on people.

Isn't he the one who said if you vote for someone who is pro-choice you should not receive communion? Sounds harsh.

[AznSAE]

for a list of all the pope names, visit http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm

pope number 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 (and many more) all have names that sound interesting.

[roqueemae]

Originally posted by MysticCat81
It's actually the first thing they do after accepting the election -- pick the name they will use.

I wonder if he had this planned for a while. "When I rise to the top of the Catholic Church, I shall be known as Benedit the 16th!"

It doesn't seem to be something to come up with on the spur of the moment.

[WCUgirl]

Originally posted by AlphaSigOU
After the new Pope is elected by the College of Cardinals, two questions are asked him in Latin: "Do you accept election?"

Interesting. Has there ever been someone who said no?

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by honeychile
Not being a Catholic, I have no real "dog in this fight", but doesn't it bother anyone that the former Cardinal Ratzinger was a member of the Hitler Youth? This is far from the only quote I could find about his involvement.

"This is all especially striking in light of the fact that said Papal directive was delivered to Cardinal George via Cardinal Ratzinger -- a Hitler Youth member.

That the Church's "National Socialist Party" sympathies extend well beyond Ratzinger's "youthful indiscretion" (as the Republicans would say) has long been a matter of public record. And equally long-standing is the fourth estate's unwillingness to to do anything other that toady to the Church -- even now in light of its manifest evil."

I don't think Benedict XVI (until recently Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) had much choice in joining the Hitler Youth. Membership in it was practically required (as long as they were racially suitable) of all German youth from age 10, when they became members of the Jungvolk (Young Folk). Around age 14-15, having passed many political and proficiency tests, they became Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth).

A small minority of Hitler Youth members were very fanatical Nazis; most were 'card carrying' members, mostly paying lip service to the propaganda. An SS division named "Hitlerjugend" was composed mostly of former members of the Hitler Youth - their fanaticism covered up their relative inexperience and they were nearly wiped out by the Allies in WWII.

[dekeguy]

Originally posted by AXiD670
Interesting. Has there ever been someone who said no?

============

Apparently there have been several.

[BetteDavisEyes]

I would love a pope Hilarius.

Question to the Catholics in the building....why didn't they embalm the pope? Someone told me it's because "he is deity and will therefore not rot." Is this true?!

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by AlphaSigOU
Cardinal Ratzinger selected Benedictus XVI (Benedict XVI), as he was ordained in the Order of St. Benedict (O.S.B.) - the Benedictine monks.

I certainly stand to be corrected, but I haven't seen any reference to the new Pope being a Benedictine.

One theory that I have had heard already is that the new pope is recalling the memory of Benedict XV, who was seen as a pope having a passion for peace. This would show the new pope's desire to be a peacemaker.

Another theory that I have heard is that he may be recalling and identifying with the Benedictine heritage of scholars who "kept the faith" in the "dark ages."

I'm betting in the days/weeks ahead, he'll say something about why he chose Benedict, which derives from the Latin word for "blessing."

Interesting side note I also heard: Pope John Paul II wanted to be called Pope Stanislas, but was told that would not be allowed.

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by ADPiZXalum
Question to the Catholics in the building....why didn't they embalm the pope? Someone told me it's because "he is deity and will therefore not rot." Is this true?!

Someone is either pulling your leg or is a fairly ignorant "anti-papist."

Can't remember now why JPII wasn't embalmed -- other popes have been -- but I can assure you the reason you heard is rubbish.

[33girl]

Here's another question re the Pope name list. Is "Blessed" like a step below being a saint? What's the difference? How do you get from one to the other?