Next pope is set to be another conservative

It is a question being asked with ever greater urgency in the upper echelons of the Roman Catholic hierarchy: to what extent will Pope John Paul II's legacy to the church be a clone of himself?

As the world watches the pain-racked pontiff's superhuman attempts to remain as spiritual head of more than a billion Christians, his most loyal lieutenants are closing ranks to ensure that his conservative philosophy continues to hold sway. A cabal of aides, some of whom have been with him since his earliest days, guard access to the Pope's apartment and disseminate the line that the pointiff is still very much in charge. A handful of spiritual allies fulfil his duties during Easter week and help stage-manage his brief appearances.

The pontiff's inability to attend any of the Holy Week events has given them an added poignancy that has invited comparisons with the suffering of Christ. 'It's obvious that the Pope is carrying a very heavy cross indeed, and he is giving a marvellous example of patience in the face of suffering,' said US Archbishop John Foley.

But the Pope's suffering has prompted speculation over the direction in which his successor will take the church. As pressure mounts for a modernising Pope - prepared to brook discussion on female priests, celibacy and contraception - conservatives are battling to keep their authority. They want to preserve the centralised structure established by John Paul II.

more....
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1446336,00.html?gusrc=rss

from a MORE Conservative pope.

one sending out the missives from the Vatican on Schiavo, etc. They have been more interferring than previous ones, imo, which would make sense if the 'new' guy is even more conservative than John Paul.

that he that goes into the conclave a pope, comes out a cardinal.

I was taught in Catechism that it's the Holy Spirit that chooses the pope, but I've come to agree with Father Guido Sarducci on the conclaves, as he said "It's all politics."

It is painfully obvious. While John Paul was willing to criticize the
war in Iraq, all we heard from the Vatican for the past year was
abortion and anti-gay, in perfect harmony with the RNC and the Fundies.

...here's a nominee. ;)

all i know is that someome told me he was very liberal.

details?

there are many in the Catholic church who disagree with this pope. Remember, there is a shortage of priests and nuns.... I know in my area there is a group talking about this already. Just depends if the fundies get involved in this.

liberal Catholics) are loathe to push it too strongly.

There's an undercurrent, though. Like an underground almost. You don't realize how many unruly Catholics there are until you get to talking with some of 'em (as has happened with me in our community - I'm at our kids' Catholic school a lot) and you find out, to your surprise, that they secretly share all your progressive views. ALL of them, including a woman's right to choose).

In fact, I'm often surprised by the reaction of some of these - I'd expect revulsion and tsk-tsking from some of 'em, only to find out they're as liberal as I am and don't hesitate to voice their Democratic voting preferences. When I've been in the pick-up line, I've been approached, quietly, by a number of people, including a teacher, who've murmured to me how they like my bumper stickers. I feel as though it's almost like a secret club. I'm probably the only one who's out there with it in an obvious way. But I've realized I have lots of unseen allies.

THAT SAID: unfortunately for us, those in the hierarchy who are more moderate, or dare I say even liberal, in their thinking are NOT on the fast track to bigger and better things. They're not selected for promotion by the Vatican. Like Roger Mahony - he's conservative, which was pointed out when he was elevated to cardinal of the L.A. archdiocese. And the "steering committee" types who promote possible pope candidates - they're all of one mind. The liberals or moderates aren't in the club, and won't be invited. It's like being in a night club. They're all in the main room with the crowds and the hoi-polloi. The insiders all get admission to the "private" club room upstairs.

It'll be a long time before the views of moderates and liberals will be represented in the highest levels, I'm afraid. Conservatives occupy all the seats, and they only promote their own.

Fr. Guido Sarducci ... my kinda guy!

You have to imagine the Italian accent, though. :)

On The Last Supper: It was actually a brunch. The check (discovered by Sarducci himself!) reveals that one guy only had a soft-boiled egg and tea, while everyone else stuffed themselves. But when the bill was paid, it was divided equally. The moral: "In groups, always order the most expensive thing."

On The "Missing" Commandments: There were actually more than ten, but Moses was old and grumpy, and after he broke the tablets he could only remember the negative ones. "Don't do this. Don't do that." The truth is, most of them were more like advice. The Twelfth Commandment, for example, was "Whistle while you work." (People think its from Disney, but Disney stole it from God.)

On Former Vice President Dan Quayle: Dan Quayle was going around the country giving C students a bad name.

On Masturbation: Life is a job. You get $14.50 a day, but after you die, you have to pay for your sins. Stealing a hub cap is around $100. Masturbation is 35 cents (it doesn't seem like much, but it adds up). If there's money left when you subtract what you owe from what you've earned, you can go to heaven. If not, you have to go back to work. (Sort of like reincarnation -- many nuns are Mafia guys working it off.)

Father Sarducci is currently working on a brand new song for the Christmas Holiday Season called "Frosty the Snow." According to Father Sarducci , "It's about Frosty before he was a snowman."
http://home.earthlink.net/~sarasohn/aboutgs.html

I've been worried about this for a few years, since there really don't seem to be that many viable progressive or even moderate candidates.

On the other, I seem to recall hearing that John Paul was expected to be much more conservative than he has actually turned out to be. While I disagree with some of the current Pope's positions, I also think in general he's done a decent amount to continue the work started in Vatican II. Paint me Pollyanna, but maybe the new one will also become less conservative over time?

"... maybe the new one will also become less conservative over time?"

I hope you're right. The Catholic Church is losing not only Priests and Nuns but also devoted Parishioners. We need more compassionate and enlightened Leadership. I was saddened that The Vatican choose to specifically weigh in on the Schiavo case.

Because the Catholic Church is far (far!) from any form of democratic leadership, I can only plan to do my small part through work, charity, hope and prayer. :-)

I think this Pope has been much more conservative than expected and has turned the clock back to pre-Vatican II in some ways. Everthing Pope John XXIII did is now being looked down upon by the right wing Cardinals running the Vatican. And one of them will be the next Pope. No wonder the people are leaving the Church steadily. I feel there will be a split of some kind soon.

the enlightenment from Pope John XXIII and has taken the Catholic church back to what I would call the dark times. I am one of those former or 'lapsed' Catholics due to, in part, the current Pope's actions and, in some cases like the cover up and protection of child molesters and abuses, by his inactions.

Pope John Paul is no progressive. He will be remembered as someone who maintained the church as a rigid, ossified institution.

I myself posted a thread about 1 month ago about the Pope and the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Apparently, some catholic bishops from Africa appealed to the Pope to allow the use of condoms to prevent the dreaded disease from spreading.

Currently, there are an estimated 45 million africans with the AIDS virus. By the year 2050, experts believe 1 out of every 2 Africans will be wiped out from the virus.

After 5 days of closed-door deliberations, the Curia emerged. Their answer: No to condoms. As a matter of fact, they said, condoms SPREAD the AIDS virus. Now there's some twisted logic for you.

Better say your prayers, JP.

other than to trot out and spew directives to the fearful and superstitous, all in the name of shaking them down for their money.

Sounds a lot like our "President."

More RW than His Papalness.

I went to Medjugorhe Bosnia (sp? My best friend gave me book on it, so I knew the spelling, but the Catholic friend I Lent it to never returned it, even tho the friend wrote a birthday wish, with my name in it) in 2000. I am not Catholic, but like the author of the book, Wible, Lutheran.

Anyways, I went to see what was going on, I can't remember for sure, if I had it, it would be there, but anyways, I think it was Father Slovo's, or J's. church where they did healing service.

I am single and have never been married, thank God, he basically, condemned any divorcee, (no matter the circumstances) to the pit and forget communion under any circumstances for the rest of your life. The Pope was rumored to be considering making Med. a holy site.

The American Catholicism, which, I almost converted to, looked nothing like the Slavic, Catholicism. I am pretty sure, most American Catholics would be considered the scum of the Earth in that area.

The Catholic Church will not even allow the orphans of Bosnia to be adopted. They feel that they are better off without parents, then with who would be their parents. You can't even visit the orphanage.

It is so strange to see how a religion is so completely different in other parts of the world. I am not picking on Catholics, maybe, the Lutherans are just as strict in Europe. The area was like 100% Catholic, so I couldn't ask the Lutherans. Germany would probably be a good source, but I was only there for 1 1/2 days.

My point is, I think that the American Catholic experience is far different than the European experience.

.
This present (ailing) Pope has selected more . . . conservative Cardinals than any other Pope in recent time. And since the Cardinals vote for the next Pope, guess what? Yup.

Is the Italian papacy ready for an ultra-conservative Pope of color? from Africa? from Southeast Asia? Has it survived the Pope from Poland instead of Italy?

I would not be shocked if the next Pope is as conservative (or more conservative) than Pope John Paul II.

All he has to do is accept living on a feeding tube and a respirator for a decade and a half (in an unconscious state), the way the church said the rest of us should.

Just like Weekend At Bernie's.

Hmmmm ... Weekend at John Paul's. Has a ring to it.

Bake

Since I can't run.

The Pope will always be a narrow-minded,traditionalist conservative.

Mary Magdalen was among the apostles, if the question of apostolic sucession is a sticking point.

I'm not really expecting this to happen, at least not in my lifetime.

But I think it would be a great and needed change.

ofthe Pope. In recent days one Cardinal Sodano has been mentioned a lot by the press. He went ahead and met with condosleeaazzaa lice while the pope was in the hospital and he presided over the Easter Vigil Mass yesterday at the Vatican which was transmitted by the EWTV network. While he seemED to be a pleasant enought fellow most of the service, he also does not seem to have the charisma and people warmth that the current pope has.

In contrast with the current pope, he sometimes seemed to be somewhat aloof and detached in nature.

If the Holy Spirit (who is supposed to influence the cardinal's vote through WISDOM) has any WISDOM that they are open to receiving PERHAPS THEY WILL VOTE IN ANOTHER LIBERAL POPE LIKE POPE JOHN XXIII. We really need someone like him these days!

Pobre Papa!

but his papalcy was very short (1959-1963), but they say he was much loved.

The pope's refusal to step down isn't patience and suffering. It's selfishness and egotism. He's doing more harm to the church by sticking around.

same principle applies here, I'd imagine.

from what i see in Witkipedia

anyone able to give reasons to think he was a true liberal?

A source inside the Vatican said that the 3rd of the Fatima prophecies (the one the Pope would not reveal) was that the next pope after JP would be the antichrist...

and forgive me but I forget which, if I ever actually knew, the next pope is to be the LAST.

I for one can't wait.

didn't put a pillow over his head today. then come out and say that holy spirit appeared above him and took him to heaven. ya know to further the cause.

when the Pope cannot speak...too bad this state of affairs doesn't afflict some of our own Annoying People and Favorite Fascists.