Big george i refuses the big hat

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Last updated on June 15th, 2017 at 01:01 pm

Pope Big George I (Bernie Slattery’s suggested title) says he doesn’t want the job:

The Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, emphatically asserted he had no interest in the Catholic Church’s top job in a previously unpublished interview last September.

Asked if he would like to be the next pope, he replied: “No way.”

Cardinal Pell said he had “no ambitions at all” to be the Pope.

I don’t think the LBJ option is available in this situation. Meanwhile …

Earlier today, a gay Australian Catholic priest said that if Cardinal Pell were to be elected the new Pope it would cause a damaging split within the church.

Well, Ratzinger it is then.

UPDATE. Reader CJ writes:

Wonder whether you noticed Mike Carlton in Saturday’s Herald having a dig at Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger for his membership of the Hitler Youth at age 12. I remember a few years back a certain Jeffrey Kennett criticising Australian Democrat Sid Spindler for the same alleged crime. Spindler pointed out that during WWII in Germany, every youth was *automatically* a member of the Hitler Youth—he hence had no say in the matter. Kennett realised his mistake and was man enough to admit it and apologise.

Carlton isn’t, and won’t.

Posted by Tim B. on 04/19/2005 at 07:38 AM
    1. Is that a threat or a promise.

      Posted by crash on 04/19 at 07:48 AM • permalink

 

    1. Julian Ahern is SMH’s go-to guy on world Catholicism?

      How utterly pathetic.

      More evidence that SMH and Fairfax in general are on the nose. See Marketwatch in the print edition of Tuesday’s Australian.

      Not that News Ltd’s Bruce Wilson is much better with his ‘observers’ or ‘was reported’s. Name them, Bruce. Or it’s just gossip.

      Posted by ilibcc on 04/19 at 08:06 AM • permalink

 

    1. Hasn’t anyone seen Gladiator? Marcus Aurelius gave the position of emperor to Maximus because Maximus was the only person who didn’t want to do it. And then Maximus’ family is murdered, his home burnt to the ground and Maximus is made a slave. The point I’m trying to make is…shit, I’ve forgotten.

      Posted by lmbrjk on 04/19 at 08:21 AM • permalink

 

    1. If it were up to me, I’d go with an old school name, like Urban or Julius. Being Jewish, though, I suppose I don’t have much of a say.

      Posted by Otter on 04/19 at 08:33 AM • permalink

 

    1. That was probably because Kennet, for all his faults, was a man.

      This is much more than can be said for the ghastly Carleton.

      MarkL
      Canberra

      Posted by MarkL on 04/19 at 08:35 AM • permalink

 

    1. Asked if he would like to be the next pope, he replied: “No way.”

      Cardinal Pell said he had “no ambitions at all�? to be the Pope.

      This reminds me of a joke (?) my Mom tells, about the pope’s annunciator, a little cardinal with a big voice. Have you heard it?

      The annunciator’s job was to make sure the crowd got what the Pope was saying. So the pope would say, for instance, “In Nomine….”

      And the annunciator would scream to the crowd, “THE POPE SAYS, ‘IN NOMINE…’!”

      Then the Pope would finish: “Domine…”

      “THE POPE SAYS, ‘DOMINE….’!”

      Anyway, one day the Pope decided to lighten things up with a little anecdote from his youth and he began, “You know, I didn’t always want to be Pope…”

      And the annunciator bellows, “THE POPE SAYS HE DIDN’T WANT TO BE POPE!”

      Guess you have to hear my Mom tell it. Sigh. Hey, maybe someday I’ll tell you my Dad’s joke about $50 worth of ham & eggs!

      Posted by bovious on 04/19 at 08:45 AM • permalink

 

    1. FWIW, the nuns in my grade school (back when JPI and JPII were chosen) said that one necessary precondition for being voted pope is that you never express a desire for the job.

      Posted by byrd on 04/19 at 09:35 AM • permalink

 

    1. Fules,

      If Pell becomes Pope, Mass becomes a BBQ 🙂

      What else would an Aussie Mass be 🙂

      Posted by Louis on 04/19 at 09:47 AM • permalink

 

    1. Tim,

      Ratzinger – old, short term, previous incumbent’s hatchet-man, to make way for the next generation.

      My guess for the white cloud.

      Posted by Louis on 04/19 at 10:00 AM • permalink

 

    1. It won’t be Ratzinger, it won’t be Danneels, it won’t be anybody whose name we recognize.  When the new Pope is announced all the bookies will cry, “Who?  We never heard of him!’’ and there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth among the bettors.

      Posted by Sonetka’s Mom on 04/19 at 11:02 AM • permalink

 

    1. Earlier today, a gay Australian Catholic priest…

      nuff said

      Posted by murph on 04/19 at 05:10 PM • permalink

 

    1. How does Carlton keep the gig?

      He still keeps up that smarmy ‘satirist’ tone (eg Lord Downer of Baghdad’) as if he is still running those stupid Friday night puppets from the Willesee show in the 80s – they were unfunny even then, more dire even now.

      He was over here in the UK a few years ago on the radio. He had the most pompous English accent that would even make Her Maj cringe. I wish someone could get hold of some tapes of him…

      BTW, ‘Pope Big George I’ is the funniest thing I have heard today – well done Bernie. It has got quite a few laughs around the office here in Sheffield (UK), where they would have all loved to see an Aussie Pope.

      Posted by Flying Giraffe on 04/19 at 06:22 PM • permalink

 

  1. Ratzinger?
    Hmmm. Pest control, enabling unlimited fast food supply of ratburgers, with chilli sauce!

    Posted by blogstrop on 04/20 at 06:05 AM • permalink