So, who's the next Pope?

[Politruk]

Now that Francis has gone to the bosom of the Great Queen Spider.

More importantly, will the next Pope be somebody like Francis, or somebody more conservative/reactionary? What is the general trend of the Church?

 

[Craighalbert]

I don't know enough about conclave politics to know who the big frontrunners are, but whoever it is will probably be ideologically similar to Francis, since a large majority of the current College of Cardinals was appointed by him (cardinals tend to be really, really old, so if you hang on for a decade like Francis did you'll get the chance to fill a ton of vacancies.) I don't know if appointment cardinals is strictly as partisan an activity as say, US Presidents appointing Supreme Court justices, but I imagine he got many fellow liberals in.

 

[PintlerMan]

TRUMP!

 

[Politruk]

TRUMP!

He's Catholic now?!

 

[Fuzzy1975]

TRUMP!

Great place for him. He'd be awesome as the sky gods earth representative!! He'd be able to sentence his enemy's to hell,leave Melinia to fuck Eve, send Adam to purgatory. Finally shoot a half decent golf score without cheating...

 

[Craighalbert]

Great place for him. He'd be awesome as the sky gods earth representative!! He'd be able to sentence his enemy's to hell,leave Melinia to fuck Eve, send Adam to purgatory. Finally shoot a half decent golf score without cheating...

When he first ran I thought they should've cut a compromise and made a job called King of America - which has no power but gets to do all the ceremonial stuff; go to football games, cut ribbons at business openings, etc. - and given it to him for life. He would've had a blast and we would've been spared his presidency. Making him Pope would be close enough.

 

[Politruk]

Come to think of it, a major tourist destination like the Vatican is one place even Trump could run a casino at a profit!

 

[Politruk]

Conclaves of Cardinals are so old-fashioned!

The next Pope should be chosen by Thunderdome duel!

 

[RobDownSouth]

The Washington Post has snapshots of front-runners for the papacy HERE


Is the world ready for a black pope?

The wild card is Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Cardinal of the Congo.
Besungu has the highest overall approval rating at 40%....but has an even higher NEGATIVE approval rating of 45% A black Trump! He garners a lot of support from arch-conservatives for his simple Christian message: It's not about Salvation anymore, it's about ridding the world of homos.

Pope Frido the first.

I wouldn't be surprised if he were elevated to the Papacy and declared a Christian crusade against queers worldwide.

Trivia: the Cardinal of Jersualem is his excellency Cardinal Pierre Pizzaballa. Helluva name for a pope: Pope Pizzaballa the first. Italians would love it!

 

[Typo Fu Master]

Now that Francis has gone to the bosom of the Great Queen Spider.

More importantly, will the next Pope be somebody like Francis, or somebody more conservative/reactionary? What is the general trend of the Church?

Don't know, don't care.

I had no idea you were a Lolth worshiper!

 

[Politruk]

Trivia: the Cardinal of Jersualem is his excellency Cardinal Pierre Pizzaballa. Helluva name for a pope: Pope Pizzaballa the first. Italians would love it!

Does he actually live in Jerusalem, or is he one of those "titular" bishops who holds a see in partibus infidelium?

 

[RobDownSouth]

Don't know, don't care.

I had no idea you were a Lolth worshiper!

Lolth's will was not merely fluid, but often times contradictory, although even if she was mad, the drow placed more importance on a deep and devious sense of cunning than mental stability.

Substitute "Trump" for "Lolth" with "Maga" for "Drow" and you've got quite a convincing case for life imitating art.

 

[Politruk]

In practice the Cardinals always choose a Cardinal -- but technically, any male Catholic is eligible -- you don't even need to be a priest.

Presents interesting possibilities.

 

[Politruk]

The College of Cardinals no longer has a European majority.

 

[RobDownSouth]

The College of Cardinals no longer has a European majority.

That will probably be the legacy for which Pope Francis is remembered.
He went out of his way to elevate bishops and cardinals from a worldwide pool of candidate.

Hell I'm so old that I recall the "system shock" of the Catholic Church when a Polish cardinal was elevated to the papacy...which had been an old Italian mens' fraternity for hundreds of years prior.

 

[Politruk]

That will probably be the legacy for which Pope Francis is remembered.
He went out of his way to elevate bishops and cardinals from a worldwide pool of candidate.

Hell I'm so old that I recall the "system shock" of the Catholic Church when a Polish cardinal was elevated to the papacy...which had been an old Italian mens' fraternity for hundreds of years prior.

I suppose it did seem to make a certain sense that the Bishop of Rome should be Italian.

 

[RobDownSouth]

In practice the Cardinals always choose a Cardinal -- but technically, any male Catholic is eligible -- you don't even need to be a priest.

Presents interesting possibilities.

One suspects that was why Jay Dee Vance made a rush trip to the Vatican. He tried his best to receive the dying Pope's blessing (but settled for a photo op).

I think the talk of Vance forcing the Vatican Ecclesiastical Tailor Shop open for an unscheduled robe fitting appointment Easter Sunday might have been a bit presumptive.

 

[Politruk]

In practice the Cardinals always choose a Cardinal -- but technically, any male Catholic is eligible -- you don't even need to be a priest.

Presents interesting possibilities.

Who's running the Medellin Cartel these days? It would certainly be a Catholic!

 

[Politruk]

God Too Obsessed With Ants Right Now To Focus On Next Pope

 

[Politruk]

Catty Cardinal Can’t Wait To See Who Got Fat Since Last Conclave

 

[RobDownSouth]

Who's running the Medellin Cartel these days? It would certainly be a Catholic!

Donald Trump Jr.

 

[Politruk]

Well, it's all up to the Cardinals -- they have to take a vote on what model Pope they want from the Vatican cloning lab.

 

[Typo Fu Master]

Probably some old white guy.

 

[RobDownSouth]

MAGA hivemind appears to have congealed around the idea of Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke as their pick for the next Pope. He publicly clashed with Pope Francis on a number of ultraconservative issues, but he's most famously (or infamously known) for covering up literally dozens of pedophile priests molesting young boys during two stints as a bishop in LaCrosse, Wisconsin and Archbishop of St. Louis Missouri.

He created a stir by claiming publicly that President Joe Biden should be banned from receiving mass at all Catholic church. An absolute embarassment for the Catholic Church, he was named Cardinal of the little island of Malta and over a five year span was "de-Cardinalized" of his duties. He finally got the message and retired from the Cardinalcy (I think that's what they call it) and Pope Francis gave him one final stilletto in the back by having him removed from his luxurious church-supplied retirement villa and also had his housing allowance revoked.

But hai, he's MURICAN!

 

[Politruk]

He finally got the message and retired from the Cardinalcy (I think that's what they call it)

I think I've read "Cardinalate."