So long Pope Benedict.

[Heid the Ba]

My wife studied at Strathclyde for a year (History and English), and she never told me about a course of that name.

A year in the city of my birth might have been an eye-opener for her. Strathclyde is a more recent university so probably taught Scottish history, and probably not much before 1800.

OK, back to Benedict. Since there were absolutely no rumors beforehand, I think we can exclude a newly-found grave illness that leaves him only so much time (that wouldn't have got past the Vatican rumor mill). I do think it is possible that the guy is just dead honest: He hasn't found it within himself to cope with the problems his beloved church is facing. He is an exceptionally sharp and intelligent mind, and it might be possible that has seen his capacities declining before anyone else in his court or in the public has.

The only plausible thing I have heard is that he witnessed the long decline into senility of JPII, saw how it damaged the church and decided to go.

Edit: fix tags

[Arneb]

Yes. And he hinted at that in hios speech. He said that, yes, he knew that Peter's office isn't only carried out by words and deeds, but also by "praying and suffering" - A clear reference to JPII. Still he saidm, the office placed so much strain of one's abilities that only someone at his full capabilities could execute it to satisfaction. If you will, a criticism of JPII.

What I would be curious about is: Since he mentioned intellectual capacitiy specifically, does he himself notice a decline others don't notice?

[Heid the Ba]

Anecdote alert: I have had some clients who were completely unaware of their loss of capacity and others who were all too aware. It may be everyone knows but how do you tell the Pope he's going doolally? It is one thing to shuffle Granny out of public life but harder with Il Papa.

I'm assured by the Italian speakers in my orbit that the Archbishop of MIlan's name is pronounced with a "Si" at the start.

They may be taking the piss.

[Arneb]

Oh, you'd be surprised (OK, probably you won't be) how efficient courts work - rremember how they made a complete doll out of the intelligent, bright young journalist who was stupid enough to marry Japan's crown prince? Had JPII actually started to talk theological gibberish, the curia would have changed his schedule in no time. The curia can do a lot of things.

Angelo Scola - with "Si"?

[Heid the Ba]

Things go better with Pope Sicola.

Coat on, heading for door . . .

The bonus for this joke (which is actually correct in the Milanese dialect) is that it is winding up HenrikOlsen at BAUT. That man is a pontificating arse (pun intended).

[Enzo]

Vell, vatican do about it?

I'll See.

[Мастер]

Angelo Scola - with "Si"?

I didn't get it the first few times either

[Arneb]

Things go better with Pope Sicola.

Oh nononononNOOOO!

The bonus for this joke (which is actually correct in the Milanese dialect) is that it is winding up HenrikOlsen at BAUT. That man is a pontificating arse (pun intended).

You made the world just that little bit better today, my friend.

[tubeswell]

Vell, vatican do about it?

I'll See.

[Heid the Ba]

And Arneb slaps Henrik across the back of the head!

[Мастер]

And Arneb slaps Henrik across the back of the head!

Now I have to go looking . . .

[Enzo]

Pope Benedict

A poached pope on an english muffin with holandaise.

[Arneb]

If only Henrik were here, you'd get the moralinic acid treatment right there.

[Enzo]

Perhaps if i went there...

[Arneb]

By all means, have a go at it.

[Enzo]

So you probably don't want to know about my apple Pius

[Arneb]

Just for completeness, here is Craig Ferguson's take on it

"Today, Prince Charles called his mother and said, 'take the hint, bitch'".

"As soon as one Pope leaves, another one popes up right away"

"He's gonna be replaced by Ashton Kutcher"

"He wants to be with his grandkids"

"If the smoke is green, Willie Nelson somehow gotten into the Sistine Chapel....I'm da Pope again, I'm so stoned I think I'm da Pope again".

Assorted moments of badly faked German accent...(which totally misses the point, as Ratzinger's Bavarian sounds very different from standard German).

[Arneb]

OK, Apostolica sedes vacans. Their web design is solidly in the Middle Ages. You have to hand it to them. They stick with their guns.

The Vatican Euro coins and stamps made during sede vacante sellfor like you can't believe on collectors' markets

[Enzo]

As someone who has news radio on all the time...

(WBBM, so I always know how traffic is in CHicago)

I am sure NOT going to miss the hour by hour minute by minute covering the end of his pope-dom. I have been subjected to hearing 4 more hours, three more hours, two more hours, one more hour, 30 more minute, the end is just minutes away, and finally, " the pope is now pope emeritus. And i am Spartacus, whoopie. of course now we have to hear live coverage of the helicopter coming in, the helicopter arriving, the helicopter picking himn up, and of course, the always eciting the helicopter is whisking him away.

Of course now we will have hour by hour minute by minute coverage of the non-smoke not coming up that chimney.

[tubeswell]

Am hangin' out for the smoke

[Heid the Ba]

The whole Pope Emeritus thing is bollocks, he's now back to being a Cardinal and should dress accordingly. But what do I know? The Sin of Lucifer if you ask me, which no-one has.

[Arneb]

He is still a priest and a bishop - those are consecrations, which you can only renounce yourself or have taken away from you by a Pope after a real hefty transgression (for priest, that is. Like, marriage. But not kiddie-fiddling, of course). However, I read he is not a cardinal anymore. He put down the purple when he became a Pope and the only way back into the college of cardinals would be to be created cardinal again by his successor - which the successor is unlikely to do as cardinals are by definition high-profile people, escpecially those created while being under 80 and thus eligible to be in the next conclave. Being a cradinal is not for someone spending the rest of his life praying, writing, and taking walks.

[Heid the Ba]

You're right, I meant bishop.

[Lianachan]

I ended up seeing some of BBC News 24 just as he was buggering off. It consisted entirely of several minutes of a helicopter flying about. I had no idea that the pope was so like Batman! Sure, I knew he had a Popemobile, but I didn't know there was a Popecopter. I hope he's like the 60's TV Batman, so there might be a Popeboat, Pope Shark Repellent Spray and maybe even a Popsicle with a sidecar for ... I don't know, a sexy nun or something.

[Enzo]

Oh foo, you beat me to Popesicle.


Maybe when they arrive at his destination he could rappel down a line - Pope on a Rope.

He might take up prize fighting - Pope-a-dope.

Or maybe into animal rights - Pope goes the weasel

The Bat Pope, has a secret cave under the Batican. It is where he stores his Utility Mitre.

There is always arms trading - Pope guns.

Pope springs eternal...