Joseph Ratzinger named new pope-- Benedict XVI

[blueerica]

^^Boss Radio^^ (Also €, et al...)

That's pretty much how I feel. I still don't really have an opinion. Just watching a bit. I wasn't even paying much attention to PopeWatch 2005 as JPII was ill, dead, and the selection process. As a non-Catholic, it didn't shake my world enough, I suppose.

The coverage seemed rediculous, but then again, I live in Southern California, and I know there are a great number of followers who watch the news down here. I was particularly amused while watching the 10:00 news to see a newscaster in Huntington Beach's Old World, getting the opinions of the local German Catholics. Hmmm... Bells & whistles, etc etc etc.

I wrote a paper once on early (and I mean early) Catholicism. Got a much lower grade than any of my previous assignments. Catholic professor (whoops! didn't think of that); guess he didn't like what I had to say. But my philosophy professor did. Got an A from him. (I especially liked that he accepted a multi-purpose paper)

But what to say? I guess nothing at all. I still find it hard to believe that one person gets that much control over so many people, and a religion (for Christ's sake!)...

Oh, and I guess I misheard, or someone misspoke on the news, but I heard this morning that he had defected from his duties in the Hitler Youth. Reading lots to the contrary now.

Sorry for the ramblings. We can strike this from the record if neccesary.

-E

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Originally Posted by blueerica

Oh, and I guess I misheard, or someone misspoke on the news, but I heard this morning that he had defected from his duties in the Hitler Youth. Reading lots to the contrary now.

Where have you read info to the contrary?

If you, or anyone else (like MBC, regarding interesting statements Ratzinger's made) have supportive info and would like to post it, or links, or send it to me directly, I'd appreciate it.

I was dismayed this morning to have my mother's rebuttal of all the information I gave her yesterday with positive spin from EWTN, the Catholic cable channel. She seems to be trying to support Ratzinger and would like me to stop reading "black press." I would just like to know the truth about a man I don't think has the capability to be a holy leader. And when I say holy, I mean truly compassionate and seeking to better the world.

I'd just like to have some words from his own mouth to show my mother.

[blueerica]

Originally Posted by LSPoorEeyorick

Where have you read info to the contrary?

It is with this I decide that I should not post on subjects like these when I know so little about what's going on. What I was trying to say was that in the morning, somewhere undefinably on my TV as I was waking up, I thought I heard someone say he had deserted, which in my mind is something quite akin to "taking off" "going AWOL" and otherwise giving the figurative middle finger to whatever you're deserting. The information wasn't necessarily to the contrary - not information saying he liked Hitler - but that he didn't quite desert in the manner I had imagined.

Most of the links I followed were from here. Nothing glowing, not the way they were making it sound on the television I was looking at sporadically. Contrary was a strong, misused word. But just typing Ratzinger's name into Google brought up lots of dismaying information that I didn't bother to try and find on him earlier. I guess the point I was trying to illustrate (and perhaps poorly so) was how easy, for someone like me who knows little and hasn't been trying to educate herself on the topic, can be swayed by what she sees on the television, or reads anywhere. I'm probably not likely to look anything up on it outside of what I'm reading here, so don't wait for any interesting information to come from me.

I'm sorry that your mom seems so dismissive of what you were trying to share with her on Ratzinger...