New pope

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Last updated on June 15th, 2017 at 12:55 pm

White smoke sighted.

UPDATE. Windows open on the balcony.

UPDATE II. Some old guy speaking Latin.

UPDATE III. Ratzinger!

UPDATE IV. Pope Benedict XVI.

UPDATE V. Reuters:

German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the strict defender of Catholic orthodoxy for the past 23 years, was elected Pope on Tuesday despite a widespread assumption he was too old and divisive to win election.

George Pell:

Cardinal Pell would be excited by the decision and would be celebrating with the remainder of the 115 cardinal electors, Cardinal Pell’s aide said today.
“We haven’t been able to get in contact with him but I would expect that he’s perhaps celebrating with the pope tonight,” the aide said.

AFP:

“(It is) a missed opportunity,” Tony Kerrigan, senior media officer at Marie Stopes International, said.
“It looks like this particular cardinal will continue with the line on contraception, condoms, and HIV prevention that Pope John Paul II had. It’s regrettable because that will impact so terribly on the lives of millions of people, particularly in the developing world.”

Charles Moore:

Most of German society succumbed to Hitler, compromising itself. To choose a man brought up at that time and in that place is to state that the most corrupted human society can be redeemed.

AAP:

The election of Ratzinger to the papacy has disappointed the Ordination of Catholic Women who were hoping to begin a modern era with a new pope.
“Ratzinger is not the pope that we would ideally like,” associate convener Joelle Battestini said today.

AP:

As a Roman Catholic cardinal, the new Pope Benedict XVI warned American voters against departing from church teaching at the ballot box, drew criticism from victims of clerical sex abuse and opposed married or women priests.

Father Mario Sanderson, of Mayfield, East Sussex:

“I’m absolutely unbelievably delighted and full of joy. I think it’s absolutely wonderful, wonderful … He’s a wonderful person; he’s called The Rottweiler.”

Reuters:

The choice of conservative German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the new Pope has divided Latin America, a region he battled leftist priests and whose poor and hungry often cannot afford to follow Roman Catholic doctrine.

George W. Bush:

US President George W.Bush today praised the choice of conservative German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the new Pope, calling him a “man of great wisdom and knowledge”.

Times of India:

At the age of 14, he joined the Hitler Youth, as was required of young Germans of the time, but was not an enthusiastic member.

Queen Elizabeth II:

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have sent their “best wishes” to the newly elected Pope Benedict XVI.

AFP:

Senior members of the influential conservative Opus Dei group, close to the heart of the late Pope John Paul II, today hailed the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as his successor.

Headline of the day:

Mixed Reaction In Ohio

Democratic Underground:

I knew he would be named. The rest of the names were just ROVE tricks to throw off everyone. He was placed there by the likes of BushCO. It sends a STRONG signal to the non white people of the world that “WHITE POWER” is the name of the game.

Blog reaction, plus other media.

Reaction from Germany.

UPDATE VI. A must-read roundup from The Moderate Voice.

UPDATE VII. Mathew Henderson-Hau is STUNNED and AMAZED:

I never believed for a minute that the Catholic Church would actually elect a former member of the HITLER YOUTH to the papacy ON HITLER’S BIRTHDAY!

Earlier, Mathew had anticipated just such an ASTONISHING occurrence:

Could you imagine the perverse irony if they give the nod to Ratzinger (the German candidate) on today of all days? They reckon he’s in with a chance too.

Not sure what he means by “irony” there. Hey, why isn’t the media PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS HITLER THING?

Am still yet to see any MSN references to Hitler’s Birthday/Ratzinger elected new Pope.

In fact, why hasn’t ANYBODY ELSE EVEN NOTICED?

Has anyone made the slightly unnerving connection that the Vatican has elected a former Hitler youth member to the papacy ON HITLER’S BIRTHDAY!

Mathew’s about to EXPLODE with UNNERVINGNESS! Just as well Andrea was here to explain international time zones, and to gently point out that Benedict XVI was elected on April 19.

Hitler was born on April 20.

UPDATE VIII. I never believed for a minute that the Catholic Church would actually elect a former member of the HITLER YOUTH to the papacy ON JIMMY CARTER RABBIT-ATTACK DAY!

Posted by Tim B. on 04/19/2005 at 11:39 AM

I was wondering at that too: How many of the TV audience are latin speakers?
Posted by Mr. Bingley on 04/19 at 11:48 AM • #

In a previous post, Louis commented:
“Ratzinger – old, short term, previous incumbent’s hatchet-man, to make way for the next generation.”
See, I told you they’d pick a Lazenby.
Posted by Dave S. on 04/19 at 11:51 AM • #

And just a few posts below this one I gave my standard prediction as to why it *wouldn’t* be Ratzinger, or any other well-known Cardinal. Oh well [she said, wiping egg from her face], Ratzinger’s a good ‘un – orthodox and well-grounded and not blown about by every prevailing wind.
I’ve got his “Introduction to Christianity’’ on my bookshelf. Better pull it off and read it again.
Any word yet as to what his new name will be?
Posted by Sonetka’s Mom on 04/19 at 11:51 AM • #

The “ex-Nazi” has been Pope for over an hour now and the Bushitlerburton meme hasn’t started yet. I’m disappointed Where are you brave DU’ers?
Posted by yojimbo on 04/19 at 12:16 PM • #

I guess John Paul II will be a saint now, gah
Posted by Aging Gamer on 04/19 at 12:16 PM • #

I’m afraid the Kos crowd have already gotten started with the “ex-Nazi” theme. Do they read history?
Posted by Steve Edwards on 04/19 at 12:26 PM • #

Congratulations to Cardina Ratzinger. Best of luck in the new job, etc…
When I heard that he’d chosen the name of Benedict XVI though, I was just a little bit spooked, though, because according to some prophecy about the future of the Popes, the SECOND LAST Pope (before the end of the world) would be called Pope Benedict XVI.
Read about it here:
http://www.catholicplanet.com/articles/article41.htm
I’m not very much of a religious person or a superstitious one either…but I read up about that prophecy again recently, so I was watching the announcement just before with a keen interest to see if the new Pope would (as predicted) choose to be called Benedict XVI, and he DID.
Well, read into this whatever you will…
I suppose, on the other hand, since there have alreadyt been 15 Popes called “Benedict”, it’s not exactly an uncommon name to choose…
Nevertheless, it is rather eerie to actually read about some Prophecy which actually turns out to be CORRECT for a change.
Richard 🙂
Posted by Richard_of_Oz on 04/19 at 12:30 PM • #

Long live the pope!
Now that is done, I may sleep again.
Posted by ZombieXXXXking on 04/19 at 12:30 PM • #

Latin is just English with -us -a -um on the end.
Posted by rhhardin on 04/19 at 12:43 PM • #

Dave S.
Hey, Lazenby was a good Bond. Plus it is hard to argue with any Bond that had Ms. Peel.
BTW, I’ll really be impressed if they bring back John Paul after Ratzinger, like they did with Connery after Lazenby.
Posted by EvilDave on 04/19 at 12:48 PM • #

Richard_of_Oz. But none of the previous 15 were Benedict XVI!!!
Posted by yojimbo on 04/19 at 01:00 PM • #

Hurray!
Posted by Susan Norton on 04/19 at 01:03 PM • #

Nostradamus predicted that there would be only seven more Popes after… well, something. I’m always kinda sceptical, myself.
Of course, if they don’t do something about their priest shortage, future Popes are gonna have to hold down a second job.
Posted by RebeccaH on 04/19 at 01:04 PM • #

And the increasingly unhinged-sounding Andrew Sullivan is sounding…well, increasingly unhinged.
Posted by BruceW on 04/19 at 01:12 PM • #

RebeccaH. Would Pope be his “day job” or his “night job”?
Posted by yojimbo on 04/19 at 01:14 PM • #

Nostradamus predicted that there would be only seven more Popes after… well, something.
No, you mis-remeber. That is seven more regenerations for Dr. Who.
Posted by EvilDave on 04/19 at 01:18 PM • #

RebeccaH – Benedict XVI may well solve that priest shortage if he stays conservative and encourages conservative bishops.
We have four priests in my little suburban church in the heart of the Southern US Bible Belt. Our conservative archdiocese has over 40 seminarians right now.
It’s my understanding that the vocations crisis is mostly in more liberal dioceses and in more liberal orders – just as many of the more traditional orders for women are bursting at the seams with novices, while their “felt banner and Birkenstocks” sisters watch their numbers dwindle.
Posted by VKI on 04/19 at 01:43 PM • #

There’s never this much fuss when they pick a new guy to play Ronald McDonald, is there?
Posted by Jim Treacher on 04/19 at 02:14 PM • #

Pope Benedict, huh.
I guess we’ll call him P.Benny for short.
Posted by joe bagadonuts on 04/19 at 03:15 PM • #

Mind you, the Pope gets to wear a better outfit than Ronald McDonald, thus making it more likely he will appear in Who magazine’s 100 sexiest religious this year.
Good luck to him and good luck to Catholics in “developing” nations if he doesn’t support the use of contraceptives.
Posted by Darlene Taylor on 04/19 at 03:43 PM • #

Nostradamus predicted that there would be only seven more Popes after… well, something. I’m always kinda sceptical, myself.
It was actually St. Malachy who made the prophecy, after John Paul (“Labor of the Sun”), he predicted “Glory of the Olive” and “Peter the Roman”.
However, the whole point is moot, as Malachy forgot a few popes off his list, notably the Counter-Anti-Popes (even though he included the
Posted by Quentin George on 04/19 at 04:02 PM • #

oops…
that should be “even though he included all the anti-popes, including one that isn’t really considered a pope.
Posted by Quentin George on 04/19 at 04:02 PM • #

Here’s a link to the silly prophecy.
Posted by Quentin George on 04/19 at 04:06 PM • #

The ABC celebrates in its own way
Posted by Adam B on 04/19 at 04:47 PM • #

From the ABC article linked by Adam B.:
Dermot Manning from Ireland said: “…. It’s not so much him getting the job that disappoints me, it’s the cardinals having given it to him.”
Just what the heck does that mean?
Posted by debo on 04/19 at 05:17 PM • #

rhhardin – Those of us who were given no alternative to Latin in their academic classes will recall the old rag :- “Latin is a language as dead as dead can be. It killed the Romans yeras ago and now it’s killing me.”
I have often wondered whether the vast majority of RC worshippers understand the message or are their prayer books translated.
Posted by Spag-oz on 04/19 at 06:01 PM • #

Pope Benedict XVI must be confused. He’s a German in a position of power, but his predecessor already conquered Poland.
Posted by jpaulg on 04/19 at 06:12 PM • #

Spag-oz – a huge number of us were born after Vatican II and thus have little to no experience with Latin. The prayerbooks aren’t written in it, and it turns up at Mass pretty much never except when the choir sings in that language.
Posted by Sonetka on 04/19 at 06:27 PM • #

But what wil Margo think? (lol)
Posted by Nic on 04/19 at 06:36 PM • #

Why does bloody Rove get the credit for everything I do?
Posted by Mr Righty on 04/19 at 07:27 PM • #

I can feel a bit of conspiracy theory nonsense coming on in relation to Joey Ratzinger. It won’t be long before someone points darkly to his past and labels him a Nazi.
For the record, Ratzinger turned 18 three weeks after WWII ended. He had been conscripted to fight in the Wehrmacht in 1943 or as a member of the Hitler Youth (depending on which bio you read) and manned an anti aircraft battery around the BMW plant in Bavaria. Hardly in the Wolf’s Lair. By 1944, German boys as young as 14 were called up to join militia units. They didn’t have much choice. It was either serve or hang from the nearest tree.
Ratzinger will be forever marked as a right-winger but he transcends the political spectrum. He may be a theological conservative but he is also an advocate for social justice and peace.
Habemus papum.
Posted by Peter Hoysted on 04/19 at 07:28 PM • #

Hey, I miss the Latin Mass. And don’t knock Latin. Even the scraps I still remember from school help me quite often when trying to translate French or Spanish or Italian.
And so far Pope Benedict XVI seems to be pissing off all the right people just by existing. Good for him.
Posted by richard mcenroe on 04/19 at 07:37 PM • #

Cardinal Ratzenberger, JPII’s Grand Inquisitor, ordained Pope, and I cannot believe nobody’s said this yet —
“NO ONE expects…”
Posted by richard mcenroe on 04/19 at 07:51 PM • #

I guess according to the Marie-Stopes Institute a truck-driver or cattle herder in Chad or Mozambique, or a Hindu in the Ganges Valley will now not use condoms when having sex, but would have done so had another Pope been elected. It is incredible how so many people who begin with humane ideals lose all grasp of reality.
Posted by Susan Norton on 04/19 at 08:17 PM • #

Our chief weapon is suprise. Surprise and fear, fear and surprise.
Posted by guinsPen on 04/19 at 08:28 PM • #

The left continue not to “get” it.
Posted by Louis on 04/19 at 08:42 PM • #

AFP: “It looks like this particular cardinal will continue with the line on contraception, condoms, and HIV prevention that Pope John Paul II had. Its regrettable because that will impact so terribly on the lives of millions of people, particularly in the developing world.”
It will especially “impact terribly” on that very large number of devout Catholics who follow the Pope’s dictums very carefully, in between the times they are engaging in prolific homosexual sex.
Posted by zeppenwolf on 04/19 at 08:51 PM • #

Our two chief weapons…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 04/19 at 09:15 PM • #

It just amazes me how all these critics think it is perfectly acceptable to tell the Catholic Church how to conduct its business, but God forbid they should suggest that indoctrinating children to the glories of jihad might be ill advised.
Posted by terryelee on 04/19 at 09:24 PM • #

Has anyone made the slightly unnerving connection that the Vatican has elected a former Hitler youth member to the papacy ON HITLER’S BIRTHDAY!
Oh Boy, the rampaging Swabish, Bavarian, Croatian and Polish (and indeed Russian) Skins will love this!
It will make their April 20th bootfest all the more memorable.
Posted by Joe Strummer on 04/19 at 10:12 PM • #

It’s still April 19th in the part of the world where he was elected. Heck, per Australian time, Hitler was actually born on the 21st.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 04/19 at 10:42 PM • #

“He” meaning Pope Benedict XVI.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 04/19 at 10:42 PM • #

That second Reuters quote is really something. I wonder which universe you have to live in so that “[the Latin American] poor and hungry often cannot afford to follow Roman Catholic doctrine” makes any sense.
As for Joe’s rambling, yeah, I’m sure the neo-nazis will be absolutely thrilled that a staunch anti-Nazi like Ratzinger is the new pope. Geez.
Posted by PW on 04/19 at 11:05 PM • #

PW — Don’t you remember the Papal edict to eat at least 5,000 calories a day for Lent?
Posted by richard mcenroe on 04/19 at 11:09 PM • #

I never believed for a minute that the Catholic Church would actually elect a former member of the HITLER YOUTH to the papacy…
We’re a bit fuzzy on this forgiveness and redemption thing… aren’t we?
(Hitler Youth was mandatory, no?)
Posted by nofixedabode on 04/20 at 12:51 AM • #

Darp Hau’s next edict: all German men aged 70 and over are Nazis and are to be shot at dawn.
Posted by murph on 04/20 at 01:26 AM • #

At the age of 14, he joined the Hitler Youth, as was required of young Germans of the time, but was not an enthusiastic member.
God help us. The last sort of Pope the West needs now is a party pooper.
Posted by taspundit on 04/20 at 01:37 AM • #

Hell, I’m only 24, but also a German, and I’m what may be termed conservative…surely enough reason to be called a Nazi, what with the evidentiary standard Darp Hau applies to Ratzinger?
Gawd, to think a few years ago when I was still in my sort-of-lefty, radical secular phase, I was one of those who also harboured these vague and not quite definable feelings of anxiety and fright whenever I read about the evil conservative cardinal Ratzinger…
Posted by PW on 04/20 at 01:38 AM • #

Is it a full moon? Hau and Margo’s reality seems to be shrinking…
Posted by Deo Vindice on 04/20 at 01:53 AM • #

Didn’t the Nazis used to be known as “Ratzis”? It’s a Sploid headline waiting to happen.
Posted by Jim Treacher on 04/20 at 03:00 AM • #

Hot damn, that Karl Rove is good! Seriously, methinks the post to DU is just someone like me fucking with their heads.
Posted by steve68 on 04/20 at 03:15 AM • #

Got to hand it to those English and Irish bookies . . . . not only did they have Ratzinger on short odds, they also had the name Benedict on short odds as well.
Posted by steve68 on 04/20 at 03:27 AM • #

Oh, for fucks sake, Darp Hau is a moron. There, I said it.
You’d be hard up finding a German Ratzinger’s age who WASN’T in the Hitler Youth.
Helmut Kohl, former Chancellor of Germany was in the same situation as Ratzinger.
Well, maybe that’s a bad example. Kohl being a centre-right politician, Hau probably thinks he’s Hitler anyway.
Fucking wankers.
Posted by Quentin George on 04/20 at 03:30 AM • #

I knew he would be named. The rest of the names were just ROVE tricks to throw off everyone. He was placed there by the likes of BushCO. It sends a STRONG signal to the non white people of the world that “WHITE POWER�? is the name of the game.
Hadn’t seen this.
LOL.
Posted by Quentin George on 04/20 at 03:32 AM • #

Where is that from?
No, I don’t plan on sourcing it.
Posted by Joe Strummer on 04/20 at 03:38 AM • #

Folks, if we chant D – A – R – P H – A – U enough, he’ll go to go to the trouble of registering in order to come here and teach us ultra-conservative, Hitler workshipping, oil drinking RWDB that our jack boots don’t fit on his neck. You sure you want that? He won’t make sense, as usual, but
Well, at least he doesn’t shave his balls anymore. I suppose that’s an improvement of sorts.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 04/20 at 03:45 AM • #

He did the same “Can’t you see the Hitler LINK?!!?!” bullshit with Prescott Bush, by the way.
Aargh…
Darp = Hitler
Posted by Quentin George on 04/20 at 03:47 AM • #

Watching the whinning on TV. What is left unsaid is that the LEFT wont be happy until an aetheist socialist social worker gets the job!
Posted by Astonished on 04/20 at 03:56 AM • #

I’m reminded of Braindead/Dead Alive.
Peter Jackson (in heavy German accent): What do you want? You’re not from ze immigration. I told you people I lost my
bloody papers ok. My family left Latvia during the occupation. Ve vere hunted
like dogs!…
As the lab coat rips, exposing the swastika.
Posted by taspundit on 04/20 at 04:07 AM • #

Quentin, that comment you placed above in italics – I’m just curious as to where you found it. A link would be good.
See, without a link and contextually speaking, it would seem as if you’re trying to attribute those comments to me.
Now, I haven’t come into this forum and abused anyone, I have made an ON TOPIC POST.
Why not just discuss the issue on merit and not launch into personal abuse?
Have you all seen what <a href = “http://www.tikkun.org/rabbi_lerner/news_item.2005-04-19.4230239892″>Rabbi Michael Lerner</a> has had to say on the appointment of Ratzinger?
That’s on topic.
I mean, shit, this is a political forum is it not? Politics by its very nature entails opposing views (as obtuse as that may sound to some of you).
And Andrea, please don’t ban me. I’ve listed a known Darp email addy, I’m not abusing anyone, I’m just partaking in the “debate”.
Anyway, I’ve been more than generous to Tim after he has gone back on his word several times in the last month. ie, <a href = “http://www.haloscan.com/comments/mathendo/110252438494117474/#60491” >banning himself</a> from my blog and then returning whenever his name crops up. He says that by doing this he is <a href = “http://www.haloscan.com/comments/mathendo/111321017834309587/#85662″>”degrading both of us.”</a> Hmmm…can’t see how his constant interjections on my blog are any skin of my nose.
Still, I’d like the favour returned. He is welcome at my place, I’d like to be welcome at his – like, once every six months or so.
Oh ..and I never claimed that Prescott Bush was a Nazi, I merely repeated the fact that he was the director of a company that had significant dealings with the embryonic Nazi party.
But of course, we’re talking about Ratzinger here, sorry “Pope Beauxbatons XXXXIXIUXU” or whatever his name is.
So, are we all cool to keep on discussing that or will this turn into a full scale bat-winged monkey assault on Darp with no further discussions taking place on the topic at hand?
Lemme guess, I’m banned already.
Posted by Joe Strummer on 04/20 at 04:11 AM • #

aaaargh …curse your new fangled linkage.
Go on, make that the topic of the next two dozen comments instead of actually challenging anything I’ve said.
Do your own cut and pasting.
Posted by Joe Strummer on 04/20 at 04:12 AM • #

Why not just discuss the issue on merit and not launch into personal abuse?
Why not?
Because there isn’t any merit.
It’s like mud-wrestling a pig.
Quentin, that comment you placed above in italics – I’m just curious as to where you found it. A link would be good.
Please read Tim’s post…you know, the one you are commenting on?
And don’t think that every comment I make is related to you.
Posted by Quentin George on 04/20 at 04:20 AM • #

Aahaha…the always rational Sun cover…
Ah, I love moonbats.
Posted by Quentin George on 04/20 at 04:22 AM • #

For the ultimate in sending the left into seething convulsions Ratzinger should take to wearing Lonsdale tops as the Dutch youth do, with his robes parted carefully so that just the letters NSD show through. i.e. the initials of the Nazi Parti in German.
He could also make liberal mention of Catholicism’s third reich just beginning, lasting a thousand years (correct), in his native German, while orating with enough conviction so you can count the number of blood vessels in his forehead.
Posted by taspundit on 04/20 at 04:24 AM • #

Godwin’s Law is alive in this thread …
Posted by Stevo on 04/20 at 04:27 AM • #

Aha! More proof of his Nazi-ness!
New Pope Risked Death by Deserting in WWIII
Deserter? Michael Moore will be outraged.
Posted by Quentin George on 04/20 at 04:32 AM • #

Will people remember NAZI = National SOCIALIST for a good reason.
The best lie the left have sold is the one that National Socialism is right wing!
Posted by Rob Read on 04/20 at 04:56 AM • #

Quentin – Michael Moore would be more outraged if he missed ‘dessert’.
Posted by Deo Vindice on 04/20 at 04:59 AM • #

Poor old Darp can’t take criticism. I’m a habitual masturbator…er…apparently…
Posted by Quentin George on 04/20 at 05:00 AM • #

Ok, Ok, sensible question. If Ratzinger has served a few of his teenage years in a Soviet youth movement, and then in then in the Soviet army, would that earn the same condemnation?
Posted by Quentin George on 04/20 at 05:28 AM • #

It is still surprising that some people expect or hope that the new leader of the Catholic Church might be “progressive” or “from a developing country” or somehow “not catholic”.
If you are looking for progressive, don’t bother to look for it in an institution like this. The reason for its existence, and the continuing need of its people, is for the preservation and promotion of God’s laws, not the local moonbat collective’s.
The Anglicans it aint. And, while on that side topic, note that the African Anglican’s are even more strict that the British ones. So all you progressives better not wish for a “developing country” church leader in order to loosen up the agendum for change.
Posted by blogstrop on 04/20 at 06:36 AM • #

“Why not just discuss the issue on merit and not launch into personal abuse?”
But Joe, Darp, whomever… it’s so hard to “discuss the issue on merit” when we’re all ROTFLOFAO!!! Sorry, but your incisive and unique commentary has left us no place to go except to point and howl with laughter! Want serious debate? Make a serious point. We’ll engage. Play the foole (flap your arms crying “Hitler” and “Nazi”, ), and we’ll join with the jest.
(Not “foole”? Okay then, buffoon, clown, joker, jester, or harlequin, if you prefer.)
Cheers,
Posted by nofixedabode on 04/20 at 06:58 AM • #

Darp,
Learn how to read and edit, for Christ’s sake.
A) As Quentin has pointed out, those italicised comments are at the post.
B) Don’t tell us you’re here to make an on-topic post. Just do it.
C) When you routinely abuse people, it undercuts your plea to avoid abuse.
D) Also, learn how to link.
E) No need to remind people TWICE that you’re attempting to remain on-topic.
F) Learn what “obtuse” means.
G) While you’re at it, learn that “ironic” does not mean “coincidental”.
H) Don’t whine about being banned. You’ve placed more than 50 comments at this site.
I) Don’t bitch about my “interjections” at your site when you’ve invited them by writing about me.
J) Oh, and the next time you claim that my standard or usual attack on Margo is related to her looks or hair, provide links.
K) When you can’t find those links, apologise and retract.
L) Don’t whine about wanting to comment here “every six months or so” when you’ve been here more than 50 times.
M) Don’t presume to set rules here.
N) Come up with a less clunky insult than “bat-winged monkey”.
O) Grow the fuck up already, you self-absorbed, puritanical, live-at-home, attention-craving, mundane-thinking, Bob Ellis-worshipping holdover from a dull leftist era which was on the way out before you were even born.
P) We still on for May 7? The Grogblogging thing?
Posted by Tim B. on 04/20 at 07:39 AM • #

Told my wife that a new pope had been elected. Ratzinger by name.
She asked, the new pope is a rap singer?
Posted by Hanyu on 04/20 at 07:47 AM • #

Quentin George — Well, if he quit, then obviously he would deserve criticism as a traitor to the people…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 04/20 at 09:02 AM • #

“Watching the whinning on TV. What is left unsaid is that the LEFT wont be happy until an aetheist socialist social worker gets the job!” Astonished
That’s why they’re so happy with the head of the Church of England, Rowan “Hippy” Williams.
Posted by Rob Read on 04/20 at 09:17 AM • #

Point taken on Quinten’s italics.
puritanical?
Jesus, if I’m not “ball-shaving”, I’m “puritanical.”
“Bat-winged monkey” isn’t my line. It’s been floating around for the last few years and no-one can seen to remember the origin.
Personally, I think it’s loaded with some great pop culture references, namely The Wizard of OZ and The Simpsons.
Burns: Continue the research.
May 7th Grogblogging is STILL on, and I’m STILL hoping you can make it. As I’ve reiterated to you a number of times over the last 12-18 months, what happens on the field stays on the field and I’m content to sit down and share a beer with MOST people irrespective of their politics.
And don’t let Jericho pike out again, I gotta twirl me some moustache!
Posted by Joe Strummer on 04/20 at 09:43 AM • #

What’s all this talk of Nazism? Don’t people realize that Cardinal Ratzinger heads the INQUISITION, for Pope’s sake?!?!?
I expect him to start burning little brown people at the stake any day now.
[/rolls eyes]
Posted by RebeccaH on 04/20 at 09:53 AM • #

He joined the Hitler Youth aged 14, shortly after membership was made compulsory in 1941
Compulsory.
What part of “Compulsory” does the left not understand?
TV (Harry)
Posted by Inspector Callahan on 04/20 at 10:12 AM • #

whose poor and hungry often cannot afford to follow Roman Catholic doctrine.
Huh?
Posted by Kofi Annan on 04/20 at 10:16 AM • #

After visiting Montreal, which is covered in Graffiti equating jews with nazis, I’m a bit more willing to give people the benefit of the doubt when the left wing media calls them a nazi. Its sad really.
Posted by Kofi Annan on 04/20 at 10:17 AM • #

Ratzinger has publicly spoken out against Turkey’s bid to join the European Union and advised Turkey “to set up a cultural continent with neighboring Arab countries.�? Ratzinger said last year: “In the course of history, Turkey has always represented a different continent, in permanent contrast to Eu…
Posted by Kofi Annan on 04/20 at 10:22 AM • #

Fourteen years old, huh? Hell, John Kerry was almost twice that age when he was helping the Cambodians, and a lot of people still thought he’d make a good leader. Maybe this guy will be okay anyway.
Posted by Jim Treacher on 04/20 at 12:05 PM • #