Soooooo ANY Catholic male can be Pope? Let the campaign begin!

[Bluebear]

[adwon]

1. I never thought I'd say this

but there is a consensus against electing an American Pope...thank God.

[Placebo]

2. President Jeb Bush

:scared:

[cabbage08]

3. How about Bears? n/t

[Radical Activist]

4. Dennis Kucinich!

Mwahahaha! :evilgrin:

Ok, so he may not actually be a practicing Catholic anymore. BUT, he is single so it works out.

[LeftyMom]

17. He's out of the running

LeftyMom can't have a crush on the pope. It's in an encyclical or the cathechism or something.

[Cleita]

5. Fat chance of that.

The Medicis blew that option during the Renaissance. Now only those who have taken Holy Orders would be considered traditionally.

[5thGenDemocrat]

6. Well, campaigning is kind of against the rules...

But I'll be right here in Saginaw in case they choose to draft me.
John
Catholic. Baptized. And (oh yeah baby) very, very male.

[elehhhhna]

7. STALLONE! So's he won't be jealous of Arnie anymore!

[cynatnite]

8. Doesn't it have to be a single Catholic male? n/t

[Sinistrous]

9. I question the assertion in your subject line.

The pope is also, by virtue of his office, the Bishop of Rome. To become a bishop, a man must be an ordained priest. Please see canon 378 of the Code of Canon Law.

[Bluebear]

11. Well it was a riff off another thread but:

The Pope is usually a member of the Sacred College of Cardinals, but theoretically any male Catholic (including a layman) may be elected; Pope Urban VI, elected 1378, was the last Pope who was not already a cardinal at the time of his election. Canon law requires that if a layman or non-bishop is elected, he receives episcopal consecration from the Dean of the College of Cardinals before assuming the Pontificate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope

[Sinistrous]

14. That citation ois not quite correct:

a lay person would have to be ordained a priest before being elegible for consecration as a bishop.

[adwon]

13. Check this link as well

Especially the section 'Acceptance and Proclamation.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conclave

[Sinistrous]

15. Imprecise language in your citation:

Bishops are "consecrated".
Priests are "ordained".

Further, canon 378.1.4 requires that a suitable candidate for the episcopate be an ordained priest for at least five years.

[Clark2008]

16. I'm gonna hang out with you!

A Catholic scholar and a Wes Clark fan!

Seriously, my kids been asking TONS of questions. I know some of them, but, even at 5, he requires DETAIL. I have been lapsed for a number of years (not that I ever knew the canon codes to begin with), so I may be dropping you an IM or two in the next couple of weeks - cause I know he'll ask "why?"

[adwon]

19. From the horse's mouth

Check out section 7. The Pope himself wrote that if the elected is not a bishop, he is to be ordained as a bishop. There is no requirement that one be ordained.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_22021996_universi-dominici-gregis_en.html

Also, in the pertinent section of Canon Law that deals with the office of Pontiff itself, the Pope is described as the bishop of the Roman Church, not as a bishop of a specific locale. Bishop of Rome is a traditional title, not a defining title. The Pope has authority over the bishops by virtue of his status as Pope, not because he is a bishop.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P16.HTM

[mondo joe]

10. I suggest George Carlin as the nominee.

[LeftyMom]

18. At least he has the requisite experience

[Al-CIAda]

12. I would like to nominate the man for ALL seasons...

I present...



Father Guido Sarducci!