Pope John XXIV?

Matt Bunson had mentioned the irony of Cardinal Ratzinger taking the name John if elected pope.



From John Allen on Cardinal Ratzinger...National Catholic Reporter: Electing a new pope April 11, 2005:



"First, the push for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the pope's doctrinal czar for 24 years and the dean of the College of Cardinals, is for real. There is a strong basis of support for Ratzinger in the college, and his performance in the period following the death of the pope, especially his eloquent homily at the funeral Mass, seems to have further cemented that support. One Vatican official who has worked with Ratzinger over the years said on April 13, "I am absolutely sure that Ratzinger will be the next pope."



On the other hand, several cardinals have said privately that they're uncomfortable with the prospect of a Ratzinger papacy. It's not just that some don't believe his strong emphasis on the protection of Christian identity in a secular world ought to be the guiding light of the next papacy, but there's also a real-world concern about the election of a figure with his "baggage." Fairly or unfairly, Ratzinger is to some extent a lightning rod for Catholic opinion, and in a church that's already divided, some cardinals worry about exacerbating those divisions. One said April 12: "I'm not sure how I would explain this back home."



If Ratzinger's candidacy stalls before reaching a two-thirds majority, meaning 77 out of the 115 votes in this conclave, the question then becomes, who might step in as an alternative?



Here there simply seems to be no consensus as yet, even among the cardinals themselves. Several names are mentioned. Among the pro-Ratzinger forces, acceptable alternatives might include Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, Christoph Schoenborn of Austria, Angelo Scola of Venice, or even Ivan Dias of India For cardinals more interested in church reform or a pro-social justice agenda, figures such as Claudio Hummes or or Geraldo Majella Agnelo, both of Brazil, seem plausible. Alternatively, if a pastoral, moderate Italian emerges as a compromise candidate, men such as Severino Poletto or Ennio Antonelli might be strong runners.

The Next Pope?

Peter Kodwo Appiah Cardinal Turkson

He did a licentiate at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome from 1976 to 1980, and then from 1987 to 1992, he studied for the doctorate degree at the same institute.

In addition to English and his native Fante, he also speaks French, Italian, German and Hebrew fluently, and has written knowledge of Latin and Greek.

Of Popes Named Urban and Football

From the greatest sports writer alive quoted in the local Portland (Oregon) paper..Oregon Live



"The first half was nearly over, and there were hundreds of fans still outside standing in line to get tickets," reports Mike Bianchi of the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel. "Except there weren't any more tickets. So fans actually bought blank slips of paper to get them into the stadium.



Marino Casem, the old coach at Southern University, had it right. He once said: 'On the East Coast, football is a cultural experience. In the Midwest, it's a form of cannibalism. On the West Coast, it's a tourist attraction. And in the South, football is a religion, and Saturday is the holy day.'



"So, the flocks made the pilgrimage to see the unveiling of a young Catholic coach who is named after eight popes. The only thing missing from this coronation was the white papal smoke rising out of Century Tower to announce the new leader of Gator Nation. . . .



"There was such giddiness over Urban Meyer that the university had a chef cooking up made-to-order omelets for the media in the press box. For Ron Zook, I believe, we were served stale cornflakes and cold Pop-Tarts."

Pope's Tomb Opened to the Public

Great Primer for the Conclave

I reread my copy on the flight out to Portland, OR yesterday and it is filled with great conclave trivia, including "where was the most recent conclave held?" (hint: it wasn't in 1978...read the book)

If Necessary Use Neon

Amy in the Dallas Morning News today. Just as an aside when we entered the church there was a long line that I thought was for communion. I was wrong it turned out to be a line of people taking turns reverencing a very worn statued of St. Francis (Xavier) lying in repose. Also the homily while simple was suberb the priest (a Franciscan) preached on Divine Mercy pointing out that Jesus appeared to his sinful (rejecting God is sin and they had abandoned the Son of God) disciples and forgave them immediately and sent them on a mission to extend that forgiveness. We only will get the good news when we can internalize the message that we are forgiven sinners who need to extend that forgiveness to everyone we meet. We'll continue to be mired in our own business as long as we sit in judgment of others...



From DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Points:



"The day after John Paul II died, I attended Mass at the San Xavier del Bac mission south of Tucson, Ariz.

The 'White Dove of the Desert' rises out of scrubby earth ringed by mountains. Sunday morning Masses at the mission are back-to-back and all crowded, busy affairs. In the gorgeous, rococo setting, angels dance on the ceiling in charming 18th-century garb and stare down at the living body of Christ, as they have for centuries.



In a film on a recent restoration of the church, one expert remarks that the Franciscans who built the church 'would have used neon if it had existed.' He meant simply that the missioners knew the importance of making a splash, in a way that would simply get the curious through the door so that then the story --the good news-- could be preached and perhaps even heard. "

Pope's Last Book