New Pope too old, says brother

[kskiska]

THE elder brother of newly-elected Pope Benedict XVI suggested today his sibling, Joseph Ratzinger, may be too old for papal office.

"At age 78 it's not good to take on such a job which challenges the entire person and the physical and mental existence," said Georg Ratzinger who is 81.

He was speaking before his brother was elected the Church's 265th pontiff.

"At an age when you approach 80 it's no longer guaranteed that one is able to work and get up the next day," he added.

(snip)

"His gift, his character is not so spontaneous, doesn't touch the hearts of people so directly. He is more reserved and a bit shy. It will be difficult I think. But that on it's own isn't everything. We'll have to wait."

more…
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,15027537-23109,00.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[saigon68]

16. Adios

[joeybee12]

2. I think he's a caretaker Pope--only gonna be around for a few

years--sort of got it because they figured he'd paid his dues. The battle for the next Pope will be the Battle Royale!

[w4rma]

15. He's as much of a "caretaker"/"interm" pope as Bush was supposed to be

someone who would continue Clinton's prosperity.

No. Rat is a pro-Nazi radical and he *will* pick bishops and cardnials who support his pro-Nazi views. He is very authoritarian and very very motivated to clean out the pews in America and start anew.

[mmonk]

3. He is what is referred to as

an interim pope (chosen precisely because he won't be pope too long).

[NNguyenMD]

5. just curious, what is the necessity for an interim Pope?

Why not just go for the Pope who will make the longer more definitive impact on the papacy?

[Melynn]

8. I think the Vatican wanted a time out

After Pope John Paul II the Church wanted a care taker Pope. No matter what you think about Pope John Paul II he broke many traditions like going to the people on his pilgrimages. Of course many DUers would say that PJPII should broke many other traditions like allowing birth control and allowing priests to marry but remember this Catholic Church we are talking about here.

[regnaD kciN]

9. If they wanted a "caretaker pope"...

...could they have done much worse than a hard-liner like Ratzinger, who sees the church at war with "the dictatorship of relativism" (i.e. the notion that no one, not even Rome, has all the answers) and who now will have the power to make unchangable "infallible" proclamations that bind his successors for eternity?

:crazy:

[AndyTiedye]

12. No Way

If they wanted a "time out" they would have picked somebody
middle-of-the-road.
They picked the most hard-core reactionary of them all.
He makes JP2 look like a flaming liberal.

This represents the takeover of the Catholic Church it's most conservative, almost fundamentalist elements.
They will throw the whole weight of their church against every
progressive cause and every Democratic candidate.
We got a sample of that in the last election, since it was Ratzinger
himself who ordered the church to support Boosh**. By then JP2 was
too sick to do anything.

This is a dark day indeed.

[ClarkUSA]

19. "Opus Dei" Papa Ratzi now will try to brainwash 1 billion Catholics

into being as homophobic, mysogynistic, and regressive as only the Head of the 21st century Inquisition can be.

This is an example of the Christian Wrong.

[dsc]

6. My grandmother is 94

It isn't unusual anymore for people to live to pretty old ages with decent health. Heck this guy has an older brother. He could be Pope in 2020.

[saigon68]

17. They will hook him up to life support

His "EVIL" brain will be alive in 2045

[KitSileya]

11. But that doesn't necessarily mean he won't cause major upheavals

IIRC, Angelo Cardinal Roncalli was elected as an interim Pope.... He was pope for 5 years, but gave us Vatican 2, with all its ramifications.

[ugarte]

4. Pope Ratzo reminds me of an exorcist

The old pale guy they bring in who's as scary as Satan.

[cobaindrain]

7. great pick (rolls eyes)

[Dave Sund]

10. If they wanted to give power back to the bishops

Which is normally the idea behind picking a "transitional" pope, then Ratzinger was a terrible pick. Ratzinger's a hard-liner as far as papal authority goes.

Of course, he was a terrible pick for other reasons.

Hopefully, after Benedict, they will come to their senses and pick a reformer.

[BadNews]

13. 20 years of Pope Benedict with today's medicine NT/

[fortyfeetunder]

14. Don't start the papal death pool yet

Ratzinger looks like a feisty guy. I thought I'd give him 5 years, but for as ornery as he is, I wouldn't want to predict his longevity. No, not 26 years like JPII, but I think he'll be around for awhile.

[Hand]

18. I've GOT it!

He's the Bob Dole of the papacy! I knew he reminded me of someone!

:rofl:

[Horse with no Name]

20. Who knows?

Maybe they picked Herr Evilness just to highlight and contrast the work of JPII?
I read somewhere that they are fast tracking JPII to sainthood. If they picked an equal Pope or one that was even more beloved, it is possible that there might be a reluctance to beatify JPII.
With this choice, nobody will be paying attention to that legacy--they will have their eyes on Benedict and the damage potential he has.
There isn't any comparison between Benadict and John Paul II...and indeed I think that is the reason he was selected.