What is a black pope?

I have rarely seen such an incredible piece of news.

Were there any forewarnings ?

Originally posted by Meldionne1
What is a black pope?

That's whole conspiracy within itself, The popular belief is that a Black pope would be a Jesuit but others take as a literal meaning]

The last time a pope stepped down was in 1415 when Pope Gregory XII resigned.

Originally posted by pheonix358
Has a Pope ever resigned before? I thought they either died due to natural causes or died due to ingestion of a poison. Maybe they tried poison and it had no effect. Well, he looks like evil incarnate!

P

Here you go

In 1045, Pope Benedict IX agreed, for financial advantage, to resign the papacy. Pope Gregory VI, who to rid the Church of the scandalous Benedict IX had persuaded him to resign, became his successor. Gregory himself resigned in 1046 because the arrangement he had entered into with Benedict was considered simoniacal; that is, to have been paid for. Gregory's successor, Pope Clement II, died in 1047 and Benedict IX became Pope again. The best known example of the resignation of a Pope is that of Pope Celestine V in 1294. After only five months of pontificate, he issued a solemn decree declaring it permissible for a Pope to resign, and then did so himself. He lived two more years as a hermit and was later canonized. The Papal decree that he issued ended any doubt among canonists about the possibility of a valid Papal resignation. Pope Gregory XII (1406–1415), resigned in order to end the Western Schism, which had reached the point where there were three claimants to the Papal throne, Roman Pope Gregory XII, Avignon Antipope Benedict XIII, and Pisan Antipope John XXIII. Before resigning he formally convened the already existing Council of Constance and authorized it to elect his successor. On the 11th of February 2013, the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI would resign effective February 28, 2013. [4]

At least he left on a high note - that is, addressing the Knights Hospitaller (SMOM) for their 900th anniversary since since the granting of the Bull by Pope Paschal II.

I do not know the processes involved on the election of the next pope, however in the list of the Cardinal Electors there is only one called Peter.

Peter Erdo - Péter Erdő (born 25 June 1952) is a Hungarian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, and thus Primate of Hungary. He is the President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe.

The Rome connection (I realise that this is regarding Romany gypsies) - Roma people
Cardinal Erdő has written about the special socio-economic conditions of the Roma people and has openly wondered on the correct way to evangelize them.

It would certainly be quite an amusing set of coincidences if he were to be voted in?

ETA: Weirdly as I pursued this a little further it turns out the Budapest where Peter Erdo is from is also know as The City of Seven Hills.. coincidences continue..

Well they usually get a new name.. So I don't think searching for someone called peter is relevant

Its seems a little odd that they are actually giving the time of his resignation.

7.00pm GMT. How odd.

I wonder will there be another Pope in place before Easter , falls on March 31st this year?

Maybe JC is going to turn up this easter.

We need a woman pope! A popette!!! Now that would be cool! I bet she'd update their wardrobe.....( kidding)