Papal succession: Can a Latin American claim the papacy?

Well, that didn't take long. We already have a list of Papal successors on the table, and as the title says, the next pope could be a Latin-American.

PARIS — With Pope Benedict's stunning announcement that he will resign later this month, the time may be coming for the Roman Catholic Church to elect its first non-European leader, and it could be a Latin American.

Here's the list of possibilities...

Joao Braz de Aviz (Brazil, 65)
Timothy Dolan, (U.S., 62)
Marc Ouellet (Canada, 68)
Gianfranco Ravasi (Italy, 70)
Leonardo Sandri (Argentina, 69)
Odilo Pedro Scherer (Brazilia, 63)
Christoph Schoenborn (Austria, 67)
Angelo Scola (Italy, 71)
Luis Tagle (Philippines, 55)
Peter Turkson (Ghana, 64)

The article gives a little bio on each one. For my part. I'm curious as to what the new pope's name will be, and if this will really be the last pope.
Source

reply to post by Klassified


Well, there's no reason that someone from Latin America can't be named Pope, but it's pretty unlikely.

One can also likely discount anyone who is less than about 65 years old -- though Benedict is setting something of a precedent in resigning, rather than hanging around, becoming less and less effective until he dies (like John Paul did,) decades long Papal reigns are not something that the Cardinals are likely to encourage.

ETA: On the "last Pope" thing, I seem to recall reading somewhere a statement that Malachy's list of Popes didn't necessarily "end" with Benedict, and then "Peter the Roman" -- Peter's the end (which makes logical sense, since a Peter was "first") but there is nothing to indicate that there can't be a gap between Benedict and him. It's also generally believed that Malachy made no such list, that it was forged centuries later, explaining the "right on the mark" Popes early on, and "rough guesses that kind of pan out if you look hard enough" for later ones.

reply to post by adjensen

I like your thinking on this adjensen. It makes sense. I can also definitely believe in a forged list as possible. Guess we'll have to wait and see. Either way it goes, it will be interesting to see the Catholic church break with tradition, if they indeed do.

No one 'claims' the papacy. They are elected in by the college of cardinals.
Any cardinal under the age of 80 can be elected.
So yes .. anyone from Latin America or Africa or America or whatever can be elected.

reply to post by FlyersFan

Well said, FlyersFan. But as adjensen alluded to... How likely is it?

reply to post by Klassified


I guess we'll find out -

FOX NEWS

The likely successor to Pope Benedict XVI will continue his conservative vision with a younger, more energetic outlook and perhaps hail from Africa, Asia or Latin America, religious experts told FoxNews.com

My guess ... AFRICA or they'll go back to the ol' Italian line.

Originally posted by Klassified
reply to post by adjensen

 

I like your thinking on this adjensen. It makes sense. I can also definitely believe in a forged list as possible. Guess we'll have to wait and see. Either way it goes, it will be interesting to see the Catholic church break with tradition, if they indeed do.

edit on 2/11/2013 by Klassified because: (no reason given)

Latin American Pope. This would take some courage. Cut out the European potencial nominations. Central America; you have a very divided Church in these regions. Socialistic. If a Jesuit was named Pope therein lies the healing within the "Windswept House". Question, Hitler exterminated the Catholic and Jewish Poles. John Paul II was Polish. This was a nod of contrition. Benedict 16 was a nazi German Catholic. How could THAT be? He lived through WW2 where was he; a conservative living where? How in the world did he not become a resident of CHELMNO, Vuckenvald, Bergen Belsen, Sovibor. Auszhwietz. The irony of all of this astounds me; AND NO ONE NOTICED?

reply to post by vethumanbeing

Benedict 16 was a nazi German Catholic. How could THAT be?

Because he wasn't a Nazi. He was in the Hitler Youth as a child, but everyone in Germany at that time was in the Hitler Youth as a child, because it was compulsory. Beyond that, there is no evidence that he or his family were members of the National Socialist Party, or supported the Nazis in any way.

Neither Ratzinger nor any member of his immediate family joined the NSDAP (Nazi Party). Ratzinger’s father was critical of the Nazi government, and as a result the family had to move four times before he was ten years old.

None of this is remarkable, however, because the same happened with other German Catholic families. Although many German Catholic leaders were willing to work with the Nazis, many individual Catholics and Catholic priests resisted as best they could, refusing to cooperate with a political regime they regarded as anti-Catholic at best and the embodiment of evil at worst. (Source)

Originally posted by adjensen
reply to post by vethumanbeing

 

Benedict 16 was a nazi German Catholic. How could THAT be?

Because he wasn't a Nazi. He was in the Hitler Youth as a child, but everyone in Germany at that time was in the Hitler Youth as a child, because it was compulsory. Beyond that, there is no evidence that he or his family were members of the National Socialist Party, or supported the Nazis in any way.

Neither Ratzinger nor any member of his immediate family joined the NSDAP (Nazi Party). Ratzinger’s father was critical of the Nazi government, and as a result the family had to move four times before he was ten years old.

None of this is remarkable, however, because the same happened with other German Catholic families. Although many German Catholic leaders were willing to work with the Nazis, many individual Catholics and Catholic priests resisted as best they could, refusing to cooperate with a political regime they regarded as anti-Catholic at best and the embodiment of evil at worst. (Source)

Let me tell you this. ANY AFFILIATION TO THE NAZI PARTY (even as a Hitler youth 5 year old) would be a disqualification. The Fact he was GERMAN should have disqualified him; no German is Catholic, they are Lutherans and or Calvanists. You did not answer my question, where did the family hide out? Somewhere in France below a milkfarmers floorboards? Do you have any clue as to why this man succeeded John Paul II? BECAUSE he was a Polish Catholic Persecuted by the NAZI (how in the world this man survived is beyond me), The Polish Catholic Polish Jew were treated with equal feverish hatred. Benedict was placed as a "I AM SORRY about the whole Poland fiasco, killed all of you, ran you out and turned your entire country into our one big concentration/labor/death camp (thanks for the shipyards). You tell me How the German Catholic survived Hitler in Germany. Oh it was a Dr. Suess thing, a dust mote on a flower that Horton held in its trunk called "the great german catholic civilization revival". The Vatican Laundered a lot of DIRTY NAZI stolen money, gold teeth; THAT is why some survived. No one refused to cooperate as they were all in collusion with each other. Politics yes oh yes. The Swiss still have a comeupance due.

Originally posted by vethumanbeing
The Fact he was GERMAN should have disqualified him; no German is Catholic,

30% Catholic, 30% Protestant, 4% Muslim

Do you have any clue as to why this man succeeded John Paul II?

Because he was John Pauls right hand man so he knew the job and could be a transition pope to the next one. Because he speaks six languages including Italian (which is a traditional requirement). Because he has a very impressive resume of positions through his career and is highly qualified to do the job. info here

You tell me How the German Catholic survived Hitler in Germany.

Many did not. But many did. They kept their heads down and blended in. It wouldn't be hard for a child to do that. And that is what Benedict was at the time .. a child.

The Vatican Laundered a lot of DIRTY NAZI stolen money, gold teeth; THAT is why some survived.

Dude .. Hitler mass murdered 100,000 Catholics including priests and nuns. He wasn't bought off to save some of them. He did his own thing. He was insane.

The Swiss still have a comeupance due

So you'd punish the people of Switzerland for being in cahoots with Germany in WWII .. even though nearly all the swiss who are alive today were not alive then? That's insane. That's like blaming white Americans born today for slavery that happened in America 200+ years ago.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by vethumanbeing
The Fact he was GERMAN should have disqualified him; no German is Catholic,

30% Catholic, 30% Protestant, 4% Muslim

Do you have any clue as to why this man succeeded John Paul II?

Because he was John Pauls right hand man so he knew the job and could be a transition pope to the next one. Because he speaks six languages including Italian (which is a traditional requirement). Because he has a very impressive resume of positions through his career and is highly qualified to do the job. info here

You tell me How the German Catholic survived Hitler in Germany.

Many did not. But many did. They kept their heads down and blended in. It wouldn't be hard for a child to do that. And that is what Benedict was at the time .. a child.

The Vatican Laundered a lot of DIRTY NAZI stolen money, gold teeth; THAT is why some survived.

Dude .. Hitler mass murdered 100,000 Catholics including priests and nuns. He wasn't bought off to save some of them. He did his own thing. He was insane.

The Swiss still have a comeupance due

So you'd punish the people of Switzerland for being in cahoots with Germany in WWII .. even though nearly all the swiss who are alive today were not alive then? That's insane. That's like blaming white Americans born today for slavery that happened in America 200+ years ago.

You ask any THIRD (those only being in their 50s) Polish generation its opinion regarding the stealing of their homeland by the Nazis. Your arguement that the sins should remain only with the fathers is not valid. That country is a mass graveyard. The overlay of evil placed upon it will take MANY new generations of Poles moving back to reclaim their Grandparents rightflully Legally Owned property stolen and DEFILED. The reason Ratz was elected Pope in 05 was not because he was a right hand man. It was a subtle bow to (oops, sorry about riff raff my countrymen did to yours) INFACT was a purposefull SLAP and why no one sees this irony is baffling.

My father-in-law was Polish and spoke 7 languages, A Loyola Seminary student. What is your point, that only Catholic Cardinals know how to read Latin? and the lowly average Loyola grad Catho-thick not running for Popeinshiredom is not just as worthy and not missing their HOME?

Well regarding Hitler, too bad the Army failed in their attempt at putting him out of his nations misery. You realise there was a concerted effort by others to keep this from happening? His conjured Vrill Soc. buddies. Any truly loving God would never have allowed Hitler to accomplish the destruction of Europe.

Of the over 2000 death camps existing Mostof not all of them were situated in POLAND. A lot of Karma clearing to be swiffered. Im thinking Holland could start a huge tulip farm there to help.