Pope installs new cardinals

[emad]

It was red hats from JP2 instead of red cards from the ref in the Vatican this morning:

The UK's BBC News reports:

Pope John Paul II has created 30 new cardinals during a colourful ceremony at the Vatican, adding to the ranks of those who will choose his successor. The cardinals, dressed in scarlet robes, received their red hats after swearing to defend the Roman Catholic faith. The ceremony - called a consistory - takes places about every three years. The BBC's David Willey in Rome says this event is particularly important, given the Pope's poor state of health.

No cardinal has so far emerged as a favourite to succeed him, our correspondent adds. In addition to those taking part in the ceremony on St Peter's Square, the Pope is elevating a 31st cardinal whose name has not been released.

The new appointments bring the body that will elect a new Pope to a record 135.

The new cardinals include several Vatican officials, as well as archbishops from Vietnam, India, Nigeria, Poland, the United States and Guatemala. European cardinals still make up almost half of the electoral college; about one third of the members come from the developing world. "The most important aspect (of the cardinal's work) is electing a new pope, and we don't know whether that will be in one month or five years," said Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, who is due to be elevated on Tuesday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3209760.stm

On edit: from CNN:

<snip>

He also announced a 31st cardinal whose name was kept secret, or "in pectore." That's a Vatican formula often used when the pope wants to name a cardinal in a country where the church is oppressed.

The Vatican said John Paul was actually creating 31 cardinals Tuesday, even though only 30 were installed in their new posts. Under church law, an unnamed cardinal enjoys none of the rights or duties of a cardinal until his name is published. If he is under age 80, he wouldn't be able to vote in a conclave unless John Paul names him before he dies.

<snip>
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/10/21/pope.anniversary.ap/index.html

NB: Bookies favourite for 'secret cardinal': Chinese nominee: 6-4 on

[FlemingsGhost]

1. LOL... Grown men in dresses, wearing funny hats.

It would be comical if these deluded fools weren't mindlessly funded by so many fearful, guilt-ridden sheep. (There is a reason they refer to their faithful as a "flock.")

God gave us the truth.
Devil came along, organized it... and called it "religion."

[emad]

3. The Good Shepherd leadeth his sheep up the garden path

where he empties their wallets;
tells them to procreate;
takes away their contraception;
frames and robs any ensuing progeny;
terrifies and brainwashes them into obedience with hellfire damnation threats for the 'afterlife';
recruits the thuggiest to act as under-shepherds;
installs those under-shepherds in a special barn funded by donations from the flock;
appoints and annoints nepotic successors;
signs a deal with the local hyenas to 'ethnically-cleanse' any rival flocks outed from the original flock for deviation from the one pastoral path;
covers up the hyena signing and ensuing atrocities;
promotes self-publicism through a series of miracles;
wonders why the hell NO NOBEL PEACE PRIZE......

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. How does one install a Redbird? And what is he installing these birds in?

Cardinal Picture from: http://www.bettybowers.com/fool6.html

[CWebster]

4. Nothing like statcking the deck

before making an exit.

[emad]

5. I think this one is a few cards short of the full deck himself....

either that, or no one noticed he was really the Joker substituted into the pack after the last one 'mysteriously demised' after 30 days....

[frylock]

6. did he exchange the old cardinals for the core charge?!