AWKWARD ZOMBIE

I wasn't kidding, I think there's actually a rule that they need to be at least 70 or 80 years old, I can't remember.

Technically any baptized Catholic male can be elected, it's just that prominent cardinal priests are obviously the more well-known, and thus more likely to be voted. The person who is voted for by the papal conclave doesn't even need to be an ordained priest, though by becoming the Pope, and thus the Bishop of Rome, he would necessarily have to be ordained as part of the election.

Also, the research I had to do to figure this out says that the legend of "Pope Joan," the infamous female Pope, is a fictitious story.

John Paul 2 was appointed at a relatively young age for popes (I think he was 50 something?) specifically because to relate to the younger generation of christians, and it was pretty effective.

True, that guy was actually an okay dude. But Benedictus is just terribad.

Related:

I think that individual Catholic Priests and Bishops are more influential on the Church. They actually talk about what the Parish community/diocese needs rather than the world as a whole, and they are much more respected that way.

Brekkjern that is amazing

BurntToShreds wrote:I think that individual Catholic Priests and Bishops are more influential on the Church. They actually talk about what the Parish community/diocese needs rather than the world as a whole, and they are much more respected that way.

There are plenty of dickish bishops and priests as well though.

Yes, but not all of them. The part does not speak for the whole, but it does speak louder to the people who criticize.

The people who criticize the Catholic Church as an institute at the moment do so because of the whole paedophilia incident, and they're in the right to do so.

That is true, they are in the right to criticize the Church, but that does not detract from the good that individual priests and Bishops do in their communities.

But the good they do does not detract from the bad they do.

All Catholics know about the scandal, and believe that what the clergymen did was wrong. They are never going to live this down. Just like they are never going to live the Spanish Inquisition down. The best that the Catholic Church can do right now is move on and try their best to continue to follow their beliefs.

(I suggest taking this over to the taboo topics thread right about now.)

BurntToShreds wrote: Just like they are never going to live the Spanish Inquisition down.

What? Are you joking or something?