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Subscribe to RSSLeading historian Michael Walsh discusses the impact of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, his legacy and whether there's a chance the next pontiff will be a non-European.
LONDON - With Pope Benedict XVI set to step down on Wednesday, questions are swirling over what's next for the soon-to-be ex-pontiff and who will be chosen as the next leader of the Catholic Church.
"There is a tendency of the electors in a conclave to choose somebody who is unlike the predecessor," papal historian Michael Walsh said. "If you are not going to elect an Italian necessarily, then I don't think there is any problem about whether he comes from Africa or from Asia or from America."
Walsh added that the cardinals would be more likely to choose an "extrovert ... who relates much more easily to the people than cardinal Ratzinger did."
A conclave, which follows the pope's historic Feb. 11 announcement that he would be stepping down, will begin next month to choose Pope Benedict's successor is an anomaly since it's been centuries since a sitting pontiff resigned.
Related:
'Amateur hour': Vatican conclave drama is one for the history books, experts say
Pope says Vatileaks probe will stay secret
Britain's top Catholic cleric resigns amid allegations of inappropriate behavior
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Yea that's the ticket, Pope with an attitude !
No more Sissy popes.
And here is the mind that hath wisdom. The 7 heads are 7 mountains, on which the woman sitteth . And there are" 7 Kings/remember this" 5 are fallen ,one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh,he must continue a SHORT SPACE . And the Beast that Was ,and is not ,even he is the 8th ,and of the 7, and goeth into perdition . John is taken to the time of the 6th King (John Paul II ) one is yet to come (Benedict) and when he cometh, he must continue a SHORT SPACE (Abdicates). And the Beast that Was, and is not (Abdicated has no crown) EVEN HE IS THE 8th(Crowned Pope Emeritis/112th Pope/8th King) ,and is of the 7 (Benedict), and goeth into perdition . Francis is the 113th pope and isn't of the 7, He might be the False Prophet .
Is an extrovert the same as a pervert ?
No, an 'etrovert' is someone who is outgoing -- and in this case 'out of the closet'.
I thought "God" chose the Pope. You mean to tell me a bunch of old men in robes go into a room and decide who is best suited to further the church's agenda? Hogwash! Next you're going to tell me that there is no Santa Claus...
Those aren't robes. They're dresses.
You hit it right on the nail, Cappy-1911. A bunch of dogmatic, arch-conservative, old men in purple robes will decide the Church's fate. These guys are so out of touch with the times and their followers that'll elect someone who'll continue to cover up the sexual abuses and assorted scandals. If they had better sense they'd elect the Ghanan candidate: he seems extrovert, charismatic, younger, likeable. How come we Catholics aren't allowed to vote???
A bunch of old guys choses the new Pope from Cardinals from all over the world. I even know that and I'm not Catholic.
What you bunch of pedophilia clowns need to do is to elect someone who obeys the laws of the world and who will stop sheltering all of the pedophile preists that continue, unabated, to molest our children and who go out and frolic with and in the sex trade.
This bunch of clowns will never stop hiding their pedophile priests from the laws and prosecution that goes with these types of crimes.
Hopefully, the catholic church is on its way out, especially after the book report becomes public about all of the sexual trysts these pervs perform on the innocent children and the prostitutes, both male and female.
There are 1.3 Billion Catholics in the world.... the Church is not on its last legs...
They have to choose a Cardinal to be the new pope. Oh, how I hope so much that it's Lou Brock!
The one whose foot fits the red shoe becomes the new pope (or goes to Kansas)!
Well, they did say there's no place like Rome.
Ba dum dum!
114 old men running around pinching each other in the ass, the one that yells the loudest gets the nod! (I'm going to hell anyway, might as well have a few laughs before then)!
Nah, when they convene they look for a sucker:
-All right guys, there's that Polish dude. So, we tell him to look out the window because the Polizia is ticketing his car.....
I am not a Catholic-but what they need is a manager who can clean house-where else to 80 year oils rule the world? The Church's big growth is in Latina America-it's contribution base is America. Yet more than half the Cardinals are old who white men who have never married, had kids or truly known what life is. Over half the world is women, and not one of them is represented. They really need affirmative action to balance things.
The church has made it self irrelevant. It appoints cronies and not young men of ability. Last year only 480 new priests world wide were appointed. This is a dieing organization that needs a whole management shakeup.
I am a practicing Roman Catholic. I do believe the Church is corrupt in many aspects, but I will never change my faith or convert to Protestantism. There are things that go on in the USA that I do not like or agree with, but that doesn't make me up and move to Canada. I believe in God the Father, His Son Our Lord Jesus Christ, adn the Holy Spirit. I believe in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and all of Our Sacrements. I am not going to let the actions of a few old fruit cakes and peodophiles change my faith. There are more Catholic priests in the world than ministers in any other religion. The percentage of priests who are peodophiles is the same percentage of teachers or plumbers or accountants world wide who are peodophiles. Where the Church went wrong was trying to cover it up. They should have defrocked these men and alerted the authorities and for that the Church was 100% wrong. They are men, capable of sin and mistakes. My faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ and my religion is not shaken by their dispicable actions. That is exactly what the Evil One wants to happen, and unfortunatly in many cases it is
#126 - Tue Feb 26, 2013 3:53 PM EST
@Carl-3754200
Well put, Carl.
Have you noticed that most of the people who describe themselves as "ex-Catholics" sound like the fox that lost his brush?
Have a great day!
Well said Carl, like you I am a Catholic and the actions of a few do not cover the whole. Have a blessed day.
Beware of charismatic leaders. Check the track record over the centuries.
The way Cardinals are falling, it may soon be 2 old men in dresses that flip a coin to see who gets to wear the ruby slippers and the other canbe the one behind the curtain. I'm going to Hell in a handbasket too, so who guves a big old dump. Except the ones in dresses, of course. I nominate Dick Cheney. He knows hot to shoot someone in the butt.
I'm not catholic. I do know they chose from cardinals. I don't blame the pope for stepping down. he's old and not in good health. they have cardinals from all over the world and nobody has mentioned the Canadian cardinal. they only talk about all the others on this "blog". Just an observation.
As I read most of these posts and posts from other articles, I realize how many people here are just like the people that attack Mrs. Obama and her physical attributes. To see so many people make such uneducated accusations and innuendos is sad. Once again the cheese puff gang raises it’s fingers.
A fundamentalist conservative extrovert pope is no better than a liberal introvert pope.
The pope can always get a weenie cardinal or bishop to express what the pope will do.
The world wants a liberal, more human church, because that is the stuff of real life.