Pope of Rome to Step Down

[Kevin]

You've put more thought into this than I have, clearly.

To get my support back, the Church is going to have to make some pretty big changes, starting with turning every single document related to any priest abuse over to the authorities and compensating the victims, then turn an eye towards internal reform.

Basically, I want the Episcopal Church with a Pope... I'd declare myself to be Episcopal if one of the things I respect and value about the Church is its subsidiary institutions like Catholic Charities.

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Basically, I want the Episcopal Church with a Pope... I'd declare myself to be Episcopal if one of the things I respect and value about the Church is its subsidiary institutions like Catholic Charities.

Sounds about right to this cradle Catholic.

My mother is running a blood drive at our Church right now. She is dying to know who it is, but can't watch! There are two that I'm not enthusiastic about, but can't say for fear of jinxing!

(I find it funny that I'm worried about jinxing something to do with religion)

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Kevin

You've put more thought into this than I have, clearly.

Not really -- I'm just, as I said above, a churchgeek (and a Presbyterian one at that) who is repeating speculation from someone who seemed know what he might be talking about. He thought they were the front-runners, and a quick election more than likely meant one of them, while if it went past tomorrow afternoon, it mosr likely was not one of them.

[KillarneyRose]

I'm kind of like Kevin except I took the leap to the Episcopal church after I married my uberWASP husband.

I wonder what name the new Pope will take? I’d like to see him take John Paul III. I’m partial to John Paul II because he was Polish.

My maternal grandma had a picture of him hanging in her kitchen and it said niech zyje nasz ojcze (Long live our father) at the bottom . She’d tell me I’d better have good table manners because the Father could see me!

Can I tell a joke I heard on the radio this morning? It went something like this:
The Papal Conclave is still meeting, and we'll be able to tell what's going on by the color of the smoke rising from the chimney. If it's black, it means no Pope yet. If it's white, it means they've elected someone. If it's gray, it means that they're burning evidence.

I know it's wrong, but it made me laugh

[SWTXBelle]

I was thinking John Paul III might be an option, but that's a lot to live up to in terms of JPII's personal popularity.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by KillarneyRose

Can I tell a joke I heard on the radio this morning? It went something like this:
The Papal Conclave is still meeting, and we'll be able to tell what's going on by the color of the smoke rising from the chimney. If it's black, it means no Pope yet. If it's white, it means they've elected someone. If it's gray, it means that they're burning evidence.

I know it's wrong, but it made me laugh

There's a Facebook meme going around showing black smoke- no Pope, white smoke- new Pope, blue smoke in the shape of a bird- Tweeted that there's a new Pope. I would post it, but I can't find it again...

[Shellfish]

I'm watching the balcony cam at abcnews.go.com/live and anxious at every little movement of the curtains, even though I'm also a person who has fallen away.

[txAOII_15]

Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by txAOII_15

Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Meaning the predictions I relied on were totally off, lol.

Interesting that a Jesuit chose the name Francis.

ETA: And Kevin, he may not be Italian, but he's 76.

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Interesting that a Jesuit chose the name Francis.

Maybe after St. Francis Xavier?

[txAOII_15]

Originally Posted by WCsweet<3

Maybe after St. Francis Xavier?

That's what I was thinking too.

[ADPiEE]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Meaning the predictions I relied on were totally off, lol.
.

That makes two of us. The news is saying he was 2nd in line (whatever that means) at Pope Benedict's election so it that's true, then this really isn't a surprise.

Maybe is name is after St. Francis Assisi because of his love for the poor?

[dekeguy]

Te Deum Laudamus! A Jesuit who has taken his regnal name from St. Francis Xavier, arguably one of the greatest Jesuit Saints, known as the Apostle to the East!
Gaudete omnes! Habemus Papam! Deo Gratias!

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by WCsweet<3

Maybe after St. Francis Xavier?

Originally Posted by dekeguy

Te Deum Laudamus! A Jesuit who has taken his regnal name from St. Francis Xavier, arguably one of the greatest Jesuit Saints, known as the Apostle to the East!

Originally Posted by ADPiEE

Maybe is name is after St. Francis Assisi because of his love for the poor?

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Yeah, I'm seeing reports that it's for St. Francis of Assisi too, but I can't help but wonder if they're just assuming like I did.

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul

I'm on team Asisi too...

Well, to add to the mix, apparently St. Francis Solano, a Franciscan who was educated by Jesuits and a missionary to South America and is known as the Wonder Worker of the New World, is patron saint of Argentina (and Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru). That had to have factored in.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Francis is for all three St. Francises. Maybe St. Francis de Sales too?

[WCsweet<3]

Pope Francis I. I kinda like it!