Probably he's prepping. Lots of bishops gunning for him.

http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-vatican-family-20140430-story.html#axzz30NRBffdt&page=2

Do you mean that literally, or figuratively? After all, he can't be voted out or removed from office.

Chaput is the foremost conservative/culture warrior in the US. His favorite issue was supporting Pro Choice; but then Francis called abortion an "obsession."

Chaput invited the Pope to visit him, in Philly.

Sounds a little too much like The Godfather as a matter of fact.

One called for blood in the streets, and another urged his congregants to turn their gay family members in to the police. Francis has not said a word about it.
Francis, by the by, says abortion is a horrific symptom of our throwaway culture and he endorsed the anti Choice march in DC recently.

The Sec. State. A position that has had notable problems with the Pope in recent years.

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-rallies-canadian-pro-lifers

Full text is often advertised for this - but curiously, never delivered. He has said this it seems:

“Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as ‘unnecessary.’ For example, it is frightful even to think there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day,” the pope said, according to excerpts released by the Vatican.

But? To say that "it is frightful to even think" that there are children, victims of abortion, technically this does not quite say that such a thing is true; it is merely "frightful to think."

Theology is based on continuous word games. Typically it uses linguistic ambiguity to try to speak out of both sides of its mouth. TO be sure the pope is seeming to support both proponents and opponents of Choice.

As certain other Popes before him should have been...

Lots of speculation.

perhaps jawboning where necessary.

I wonder, though, if he might not also have some diplomacy going on very quietly between Israel and the Palestinians. Almost no one else is in a position to be an honest broker in that situation.

I wonder if we will ever know.

the Isrselis snd Palestinians want to make public.Things went very, very quiet after the public meeting in Rome.

Just what we need, wall to wall news coverage of another stinkin' enclave.

It's as bad as a British royal wedding.

How very thoughtful of you.

Look at it this way. It would provide an opportunity for outrage.

IMO


(Seriously though, the media coverage was obnoxious as hell.)

And the British royal baby is a good example of that.

NT

who can read it to you.

People were outraged at me in here for gallows humor.

And rocking crack-addicted babies.

He is truly a perfect human, as long as you ignore his misogyny and homophobia.

another sermon to the birds--corporate, trickle-down vultures this time.

(And rescuing puppies and kittens, too. )

Then today I saw the end of a clip on a Fox news station, mentioning that he has gained weight since his elevation to the Papacy, and again speculating on his health.

They also mention his having only one lung, though, IMO, he's done very well for decades with that one lung.
However, I sincerely hope all that is only idle rumor and nothing more.

I thought he was younger. I wonder if he is pushing himself too hard and needs a break. He has to keep in mind he's not 70 anymore