Why waste time, let’s get right to the latest buzz from PopeFeed:
And the spotlight is not so much on who might be pope, but who should not even be voting for pope, and Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony continues to win that contest going away. Our man in the Vatican has the details.
Today in an Italian newspaper the Vatican former top prosecutor on sex abuse added fuel to the pyre, giving Mahony middling marks and saying the cardinal will have to “decide in conscience” whether to take part in the conclave.
Meanwhile, Mahony compares himself to Christ, the Suffering Servant, and says he will soldier on…
Worried about Benedict (soon to be Ratzinger again) in retirement? Not to worry – he’ll have “three hots and a cot,” as the Jesuits say, at the monastery plus about $3,300 a month in a pension. Oh, and free government-sponsored (that is, the Vatican City State) health care. Socialism?
Going medieval: I detailed some of the conservative criticism of Benedict, the Catholic right’s one-time messiah. Now others are upping the ante, saying that if he doesn’t renounce his resignation the conclave will be electing an anti-pope.
An American Pope? Not, no New York’s Tim Dolan. How about a Franciscan from Boston? Sean O’Malley’s stock rises.
Then there is the “Yope,” or Yoda as Pope, a photo meme making the rounds, as you see above. Origins unknown as yet, but I have a bone to pick: “Poda” would be better. More consonant with the Italian, “papa” and with whatever speaks Yoda does, yes?
Pro-lifers as pro-choicers? Fascinating story making the rounds about a teenage girl whose parents wanted her to have abortion but she wanted to keep the baby. Abortion foes supported her, in a reversal of the usual roles.
The “Godmother of Rock ‘n Roll”? You bet, and Dan Burke has the details.
Purim as the Jewish Halloween? Not quite, explains Lauren Markoe. (But if the kids want to dress like the pope, they’ll already have the kippah. Just a bit of ermine and they’re set…)
Can “Downton Abbey” teach us about the Gospel? (It certainly teaches us to avoid social media during the finale.)
Megachurches are thriving despite the recession. Go figure.
But is capitalism bad for family values? In our Big Thought of the Day, Andrew Sullivan explains why the free market makes the welfare state inevitable, and necessary. Discuss.
Finally, a couple of sure-fire viral posts for anyone who likes religious curiosities:
First, a First Things listicle of ten unusual foods that are good for Lent.
Next, Dreher points to a graphic explaining the styles of facial hair in different religious traditions. It ain’t just an Amish issue. Best I can do is the “Post-Evangelical Stubble.” Alas.
David Gibson
9 Comments
Jay
Ha! Yoda probably knows more scripture than the pope!
LisaB
I’m not sure how abortion foes supporting a girl who is fighting to NOT have an abortion is a reversal of roles? I would expect abortion foes to support her . . . .
Wednesday’s Religion News Roundup: Anti-Pope Emerges? * Pro-lifers as Pro-choicers? * Lenten Delicacies | THINKING PRESBYTERIAN | Scoop.it
[...] Why waste time, let’s get right to the latest buzz from PopeFeed: And the spotlight is not so much on who might be pope, but who should not even be voting for pope, and Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony continues to win that contest going away. [...]
Maureen Hurley
Cardinal Mahony, to his credit, has been exceptionally concerned for the poor and the marginalized.. Let you who are without sin, cast the first stone!
Maureen
Colleen
Are you suggesting that the more than 500 hundred cases of child sexual abuse should be overlooked? How about the fact that Cardinal Mahony purchased an annuity for Oliver O’Grady if O’Grady would take the contempt citation instead of speaking the whole truth? And… for his devotion to Catholicism, and his disregard for the children victims, he was exalted. Frank Keating was right. The Costa Nosa is an apt discriptor.
Rosemary
This flip gloss sounds very much like what a sixth grader, who thinks he’s clever, would write. It’s at that level, and it doesn’t say much for the awards you have received.
What are you trying to convey by showing yoda dressed like a New Age pope?
Since when is healthcare for someone who has devoted his life to helping fellow Christians constitute Socialism?
I can’t wait to read your bio of Pope Benedict.
RNS: ditch the “round-up” comments
Kevan Scott
To those who can’t understand why the Cardinal is getting so much criticism it is because his comments seemed to say look at how much I’m suffering, which would be okay if he had conveyed that those who were sexaully abused and then watched the church protect the abuser, are suffering as much or more than the Cardinal himself. Remember that this Cardinal was one of those who hid the abuse from the authorities, transferring priests and such to prevent the police from ttalking with the abuser. If the Cardinal is feeling guilty for doing that then I have no doubt that he is suffering but he needs to remember the abused as well when making comments about how much he is suffering. His suffering is nothing compared to the lifetime of suffering and dealing with the effects of being sexually abused at such an early age. that a victim has to deal with. While the Cardinal may be truly repentant for what he did to protect predators then fine but generally and always my sympathies will lie with the abused and not with those who helped to protect predator priest’s.
Kevan Scott
As to the reversal of roles in the girl wanting to have the baby and her parents wanting her to undergo an abortion I find it very hypocritical that those on the right who are so avidly anti-abortion would support the parents in this instance. Imagine supporting the parents who want the girl to have the abortion and in those who are anti-abortion’ ‘s eyes killing the baby. Really, in this instance they would support killing a fetus just because the parents are sueing to have their rights to force the daughter to undergo the abortion.. Nothing hypocritical about that at all, said with a large dose of sarcasm. As one who supports a woman’s right to choose, I support the girl because she is CHOOSING to have the baby, and I would have supported her if she had chosen to have the abortion. There IS NOTHING hypocritical about that.
testdomain
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is magnificent blog. An excellent read. I’ll definitely be back.