Friday, February 15, 2013

The reason for Pope Benedict's sudden abdication explained. Update!

Guiltiest looking Pope ever!
Courtesy of the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church ans State:

Pope Benedict, Joseph Ratzinger, has scheduled a meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano for Saturday, February 23 to discuss securing protection and immunity from prosecution from the Italian government, according to Italian media sources. 

Ratzinger's meeting follows upon the apparent receipt by the Vatican of a diplomatic note from an undisclosed European government on February 4, stating its intention to issue an arrest warrant for Ratzinger, who resigned from his pontificate less than a week later. 

In response to the February 23 meeting, the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS), through its field Secretary, Rev. Kevin Annett, has written to President Napolitano, asking him to refrain from assisting Ratzinger in evading justice. 

The ITCCS letter states, in part, 

"I need not remind you, Mr. President, that under international law and treaties that have been ratified by Italy, you and your government are forbidden from granting such protection to those like Joseph Ratzinger who have aided and abetted criminal actions, such as ordering Bishops and Cardinals in America and elsewhere to protect known child rapists among their clergy. 

"Your obligation to the Vatican through the Lateran Treaty does not negate or nullify the requirements of these higher moral and international laws; nor does it require that you give any protection or immunity to a single individual like Joseph Ratzinger, especially after he has left his papal office."

So let's see if we have this straight. On February 4th the Vatican receives a note saying that there is a warrant being issued for the Pope.

Seven days later, on February 11th, he resigns ostensibly due to "poor health."

And now we understand that he has a meeting scheduled with the Italian President asking him for immunity against prosecution for crimes against children?

You know I am not a mathematician, but I can add. And in this case two plus two equals"the pope's guilty of some crime having to do with pedophilia."

Anybody disagree with that?

Update: There have been a number of people who have suggested that this news is not reliable.  That may be true, though it has been reported in a number of places on the internet.

However the idea of the Pope having a warrant for his arrest is now a non-issue at it appears he has not intention of exposing himself to the possibility of having it served on him.

This from GMA News: 

Pope Benedict's decision to live in the Vatican after he resigns will provide him with security and privacy. It will also offer legal protection from any attempt to prosecute him in connection with sexual abuse cases around the world, Church sources and legal experts say. 

"His continued presence in the Vatican is necessary, otherwise he might be defenseless. He wouldn't have his immunity, his prerogatives, his security, if he is anywhere else," said one Vatican official, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

"It is absolutely necessary" that he stays in the Vatican, said the source, adding that Benedict should have a "dignified existence" in his remaining years.

So take it for what you will. But to my mind the fact that the Pope suddenly resigned, the first time in 600 years, and is now going to stay in the Vatican where he cannot be legally prosecuted, speaks volumes.

69 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:48 PM

    What unthinkable evil would sacrifice all those children to maintain their "reputation" as an institution.....

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    1. Anonymous4:36 PM

      power without accountability

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:50 PM

      Was it Nostradamus that said the last pope would be the anti-Christ?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:59 AM

      ALL Roman Catholics are complicit in this. Al RCC are the anti-Christ - see Gandhi. Just change Christians to Catholics.

      Delete
  2. Balzafiar3:57 PM

    Wow, just wow! I read two linked articles and if this is true...


    Nostradamus may have been right on target.

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  3. WOW! That is truly sick and evil, beyond words!

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  4. I hope it's not true, but I have a sinking feeling that it is true. So sad.


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  5. Anonymous4:15 PM

    As soon as I heard of the fuckhead pope's "retirement" I knew it had something to do with a scandal involving the church's and this pope's involvement with protecting pedophiles. So he is a coward as well as despicable. No surprise there.

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  6. Anonymous4:24 PM

    IMHO- ITSCC may not a credible source. Sounds official, but sometimes that does not mean anything. I have never heard of them before that link was posted earlier today. With everything the church has done and hasn't done, I very much doubt that ITCSS.org has anything to do with the pope resigning.

    Check this out. From their website.

    http://itccs.org/about/.

    "Background and Rationale

    The abuse, trafficking, torture and murder of children appears endemic to European culture, and continues to be actively practiced, and condoned and protected, by church, state, judicial and police forces around the globe.

    These same institutions are equally responsible for the historic genocide of indigenous peoples at the hands of European Christendom: an enormous crime against humanity which has never stopped, and continues to ravage and destroy the innocent and the earth.

    Because these crimes have emerged from within the heart and laws of so-called western civilization, they have not faced judgment or accountability. We believe it is time for both.

    Two of the main practitioners of this genocide of the innocent – the Vatican and the Crown of England – are effectively immune from prosecution under existing laws and customs. It is therefore incumbent upon all citizens to take action to safeguard their children in the face of the refusal of courts and governments to bring to justice those who threaten public safety and wellbeing.

    On this basis, our Tribunal has been established to enforce common law and try and convict the institutions and their officers responsible for such historic and ongoing crimes against humanity. We therefore constitute a de jure Court under common law, with full power of arrest, conviction and enforcement.

    We have issued a Public Summons to Joseph Ratzinger (aka “Pope Benedict”) and six senior cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, inc. to appear before our opening session on September 12, 2011 in London. A similar Summons will be delivered to other church and state officials in the coming months.

    Common Law peace officers working for our de jure Court and Tribunal will apprehend these persons and bring them to trial, and will enforce the verdicts of our Court, if regular peace officers refuse to do so.

    Our Court and its officers will follow the normal Common Law rules of due process in all of its deliberations and decisions, guided by natural law principles of equity, reason and justice, and the maxim Actus nemini facit injuriam: The act of the law does no one wrong."
    ......
    ......
    "The final verdicts and findings of the Court and Tribunal will be made public in the form of a final public Report whose decisions will be enforced by the Common law Peace Officers and their agents, if regular peace officers refuse to do so. These decisions can and will include the imprisonment and community sentencing of the guilty, the issuing of commercial Liens and Orders of Expropriation against church, corporate and state institutions and their property and assets, orders of Reparation and Compensation, and the return of all land, property, unpaid taxes, and revenue obtained through forced labor.

    Our Court and tribunal derive their ultimate authority from the self-evident Natural Law which resides within the reason and compassion of every man and woman, and from the Common Law right of the informed citizenry to establish their own Courts, Policing and Laws when normal institutions fail or refuse to uphold the liberty, rights, safety and well being of the community.

    Issued by the Legal Advisory Committee of the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State – January 3, 2011"


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    1. Anonymous10:16 PM

      Do these people hold court in Denny's?

      Delete
  7. angela4:25 PM

    Why is this a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention?

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  8. Anonymous4:26 PM

    It certainly won't break my heart to see the RCC relegated to the ash heap of history. I only wish I could live long enough to see it. Ex Cat

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  9. Anonymous4:30 PM

    This group has been suing the Canadian Government for years. It just doesn't make sense that s why he retired as Pope he is the Head of State and thus has diplomatic immunity why would he retire and state quite clearly his intentions to leave Vatican city for a few weeks and travel to a country residence. I am pretty sure he was the main person responsible for the coverup and although personally i think he should be hung by his toes from the steeple of the cathedral along with every other priest who abused children.

    This group is a whole lot of bluster and not much to back them up. I am curious as to which European nation, seems off to not state which one.

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    1. Anonymous5:01 AM

      guessing...ireland

      Delete
  10. I’m a lapsed Lutheran and my husband is an expired (probably) Catholic, but we’re both hanging our heads tonight. There seems to be no nobility/exemplary behavior, and that’s necessary to keep good people from despairing. I’d appreciate a shot in the arm about now…

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  11. Will Ireland charge the former Pope for slavery in the Magdalene Laundries decades of deceit?

    http://world.time.com/2013/02/07/the-magdalene-laundries-irish-report-exposes-a-national-shame/

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    1. I always knew Protestant evangelicals were creepy (first-hand experience), but Jesus (pun intended)…

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  12. Anonymous4:41 PM

    I'm not sure I understand this yet. If he was Pope, he would never have to leave the Vatican. As long as he is in the Vatican, they can't arrest him. So why give up being Pope.

    I suppose it's a public relations nightmare, but denials can be rather effective. And perhaps less damaging than protecting an ex-pope, or letting the ex-pope be arrested and tried.

    It's said he's going to live in the Vatican, which will protect him from arrest I think. But what if the new pope decides to evict him? Would the new pope protect Pope Benedict, and be seen as subverting justice? or allow him to be tried and the pedophile scandal gain more attention and publicity.

    Of course, I suppose it's an easy decision if the question is WWJD? But the Catholic Church isn't Jesus.

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    1. Anonymous2:56 AM

      "Would the new pope protect Pope Benedict, and be seen as subverting justice?"

      How's their track record so far on this? Of course he would. No other option would enter his thoughts. They are (all senior church entities) as conservative and loyal to the institution as he is.
      Fratres ad finitem. Amen

      Delete
  13. Anonymous4:47 PM

    Tcm.com/schedule/

    Is it true that The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS) has?

    The ITCCS is a bunch of extreme anti-Catholic whackos. They have their reasons, but they are just people who are angry at the church.

    The European "Government" does not exist in any meaningful sense. The European Union does not have the powers to issue arrest warrants. There is such a thing as a European arrest warrant, but it is arranged by the police and courts in a member state seeking to arrest a suspected criminal in some other part of the EU. The Vatican, you'll note, is not in the EU.

    Further the EU has no power to seize the Vatican's assets except if the Vatican is subjected to international sanctions. Suspected the Pope of involvement in covering up child abuse is not sufficient for this.

    In short, be more careful what you believe.

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  14. Anonymous4:51 PM

    Wouldn't it be great if this were the beggining of the end of ALL organized religion? One can only dream.

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    1. Anonymous5:26 PM

      That's my dream too. I call it the World at Peace Dream.

      Btw, anyone else wonder what the real, secret nefarious reason OUR Quitter quit, and will we soon find out?

      Stay tuned

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:48 AM

      World peace? Are you kidding? Yeah, those atheistic communists and nazis were soooo peaceful!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous7:52 AM

      World peace? The folks subjected to atheistic communism and socialism weren't living that dream by any stretch.

      BTW, anyone wonder what the real reason is that the "immoral majority" despise the church so? Could it be because deep down they know they are immoral and they therefore rage against God and His Church because they don't want to face their own guilt and selfishness?

      Delete
    4. Yes covering for priests who rape children, in order to protect the Catholic church's reputation and income flow is SO unselfish.

      Sucks to be defending a religion that is crumbling all around you doesn't it?

      Delete
    5. Anonymous9:46 AM

      The church has seen civilizations rise and fall and disappear. It has outlasted seemingly unstoppable empires. This will continue to be the case.

      Of course, the perpetrators of heinous crimes against children should be brought to justice. I would not rule out capital punishment in these cases. That said, it is completely bogus for the media to pretend that this is a catholic problem. We now know about the boy scouts having similar issues. It's actually a bigger problem in some protestant churches. But the media don't have the same hatred for them.

      Child sex abuse is perhaps most common amongst public school teachers, but do we see anyone condemning public schools as such? No, that's just individuals acting badly, right? I'm all for blasting the perps, but be reasonable and look at it in context before you condemn an institution. Are the boy scouts inherently wicked? Is the US military? (Abu Graib, anyone?) I think not. Any large organization will have evil folks and will need to clean house from time to time.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous4:52 PM

    I knew there was more to the story.

    Maybe when he said health problems he mean legal health problems. Ha.

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  16. Anonymous4:58 PM

    There are apparently more than one scandal on the radar. The Pope's butler released papers showing the involvement of the Vatican bank with money laundering the Mafia. Cardinal Ratzinger was certainly the point man for the sexual scandals. The Daily Mail (English) has brought another Cardinal Sodano into the picture. Apparently he and Ratzinger have been rivals for decades. He is the Dean of the House of Cardinals. Who knows what is really going on. I find it very interesting that after the Pope abdicates, he will remain within the walls of the Vatican City which is a sovereign country in and of itself.

    Elizabeth 44

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    1. Anonymous8:03 PM

      Gorgeous Georg (cover of Vanity Fair!) will remain on the job as the pope's personal secretary.

      http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-ganswein-intends-to-remain-prefect-of-papal-household/

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:31 PM

      The ex pope will, in effect, be a prisoner in the Vatican.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous5:07 AM

      Meh... for an eighty some year old, that's a HUGE and very luxe prison. And not much different from the existence he's lead as pope.

      It's not as if he were a vigorous young man, looking to get out and about - everything gets bought to him, he rarely walks outside those walls anyway - if DC is a bubble for US presidents, the Vatican and the Lateran Palace certainly is for popes.

      There's a novel out there, somewhat dated by Morris West...Shoes of the Fisherman... gives an (fictionalized)idea of what the whole being pope thing is like.

      Delete
  17. On behalf of everyone that was aghast at the college of cardinals choosing Ratzinger, a big, fat "TOLD YOU SO!"

    Man, that felt good.

    Not the worst pope ever. But the worst in recent history.

    They could have done so much better than Ratzinger.

    So much for infallibility.

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    1. Anonymous5:32 PM

      I have a feeling they won't do any better next time.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous4:58 PM

    Naah, Obama called him and told him to do something to overshadow Sarah Palin's birthday. He forgot until the last minute, so he had to quit like Palin did to upstage her in the news.

    It's all Obama's fault.

    "Piper, look on the google real quick and tell mama if she can do the Pope job by Twitter and Facebook. See how much it pays, too, sugar-booger. That mean old Mister Trump won't even return mama's calls."

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    1. Anonymous5:08 AM

      Yikes! It's $carah boo-boo.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous5:01 PM

    Did ANYONE think the first resigning in 600 years was due to health? Seriously???? If only the US had these laws. It's time to treat these perverts like the scum that they are and JAIL them. I don't care what country you're in.

    That includes YOU and your prostitution network, Todd Palin!

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  20. Anonymous5:10 PM

    You'd think this would be huge news, why isn't it being covered?

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  21. Anonymous5:32 PM

    No credible news organisation here in Europe is carrying this story. I suspect that you've been punked!

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    1. Anonymous7:15 AM

      5:32 PM Your lack of research ability shows who the 'PUNK' is.

      Delete
  22. Anonymous5:50 PM

    How many days after Sarah Palin found out her Legal Defense Fund was illegal in Alaska did she resign? Things that make you go hmmmmmm.......

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  23. Anonymous6:14 PM

    If Ratburger and Palin go to jail and Hillary is elected president, I will die with a smile on my face and a song in my heart.

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  24. lostinmn6:14 PM

    Check out what's going on in Rhode Island with something called the Legion of Christ. There's some serious crap going on with the church

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    1. Anonymous11:04 PM

      It's a new document dump ordered by a judge. Legion of Christ won the lawsuit but lost the battle to keep the documents and depositions secret. Documents released today.

      Background links.

      Gambling with history: Benedict and the Legion of Christ. by Jason Berry Dec. 29, 2010
      http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/gambling-history-benedict-and-legion-christ

      Ratzinger altered canon law to soften Maciel punishment, book argues. by Jason Berry Mar. 24, 2012
      http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/ratzinger-altered-canon-law-soften-maciel-punishment-book-argues

      The Legion of Christ and the Vatican meltdown. by Jason Berry Jun. 21, 2012
      http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/legion-christ-and-vatican-meltdown

      The author of these stories is Jason Berry. From wiki:

      "Jason Berry is an investigative reporter in New Orleans, an American author and film director. He is renowned for pioneering investigative reporting on sexual abuse in the priesthood of the Catholic Church.

      His book Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children (1992) was the first major book on this issue. His 2004 book Vows of Silence deals with the sexual abuse of Marcial Maciel, the founder of the Legion of Christ, and the cover-up of that abuse.

      Berry won his first Catholic Press Association Award in 1986 for his original coverage in the National Catholic Reporter of the clergy sexual-abuse scandals in Louisiana."

      Delete
    2. Jason Berry (and his writing partner, the late Gerald Renner) are the greatest. And then some!

      Delete
  25. He'll join Bernard Cardinal Law of Boston, who high-tailed to Vatican City in order to escape prosecution and hasn't been seen since. What a sick group of fucks…

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  26. Anonymous7:07 PM

    I wish that this story was true, and the reason behind the Pope's resignation. Unfortunately, I only see the story repeated on other blogs, and not in anything that we would call MSM or reliable sources.

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    1. Anonymous9:39 AM

      I agree w/you 7:07 - this is the usual spreading of crap that is not proven anywhere. Anything that is said on blogs and via our media needs to be researched and proven, which it is normally not in these days.

      Use the cruise ship problem - CNN covered it forever trying to get people coming off the ship to say they were going to sue them. It was amazing to watch - I turned the channel to another. Most people coming off the ship said how good the crew was and that they were well cared for...but, CNN's coverage was anything but that from its reporters.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:57 AM

      7:07 and 9:39 Do you believe everything that the Vatican reports? The Catholic Church has hidden criminal activity for many many years.
      The Media is obstructed by the Church from many angles. Maybe you should talk to some of the Victims of those Pedophiles before you surmise that the Vatican is not hiding information.

      Delete
  27. His remaining years, huh?

    One has to wonder how many of those there will be if he becomes an increasing embarrassment to them. If his abdication has the opposite effect and only fans the flames, we may find that Ratzinger's health took a very sudden turn for the worse.

    I can read the headlines now.

    "Boy, wasn't it lucky he resigned when he did?"

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  28. Anita Winecooler7:39 PM

    I'm shocked! SHOCKED I tell you! (not really)
    But I have a feeling we've just seen the tip of the iceberg. The fish rots from the head down...

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  29. Anonymous7:46 PM

    Reuters reports "Pope will have security, immunity by remaining in the Vatican" so there is something to this.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-pope-resignation-immunity-idUSBRE91E0ZI20130215

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    1. Anonymous11:33 PM

      Yup. Wether he likes it or not, he will be a prisoner in the Vatican.

      Delete
  30. Fuck the Pope and this so called church. Go to hell...that is the worst thing you can tell a Catholic.
    I was raised Catholic including Catholic school until 8th grade. I was subjected to all the church training that goes with that territory. I have never been more ashamed of anything than that. This pope and all his clingons are lying cheating bastards who will burn in hell.
    I have abandoned this despicable church and I make sure to tell anyone who mentions it that they are on the wrong side of the law and life.
    I hope there is a royal confrontation about this terrible shit.

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    1. Anonymous9:06 PM

      I completely agree..Kriski!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous5:11 AM

      You may have abandoned them, but they gain a ot of their power because you are still on their rolls as a baptized catholic. Time to jump through the paperwork hoops and make it official - and yes, it's a hassle.

      Delete
  31. If they insist on protecting this pedophile then they condone his behavior. They don't care about the children they molested and raped they care more for the nasty pedophiles and his dirty ass.

    The vatican is basically built from gold.The catholic church has riches beyond anyone's imagine. Trust I use to work for catholic charity.

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  32. Anonymous3:35 AM

    There's also the lawsuit concerning a fraud case in the US. Background is, a wealthy elderly lady donated her fortune to the Legion of Christ and other heirs want it back. The documents in the lawsuit were scheduled to be released yesterday and they sure as shit were:
    http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/359629/records-show-inner-workings-of-legion-of-christ
    Here is the money quote:
    "The Legion scandal is significant because it shows how the Holy See willfully ignored credible allegations of abuse against Maciel for decades while holding him up as a model of sainthood for the faithful because he brought in money and vocations to the priesthood. The scandal, which has tarnished the legacy of Pope John Paul II, is the most egregious example of how the Vatican ignored decades of reports about sexually abusive priests because church leaders put the interests of the institution above those of the victims."

    And this will be the ultimate legacy of both Ratso and JP2.

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  33. Anonymous3:54 AM

    I was married by a priest who was later admonished for protecting the whereabouts of another priest accused of abusing more than a dozen children.

    Small world eh.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/01/nyregion/2-bridgeport-priests-reproved-for-protecting-accused-priest.html

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  34. Anonymous5:11 AM

    I think it is entirely probable that Pope Ratzinger is resigning for nefarious reasons. And, cynical as I am, I also think that he has hand picked his successor. The College of Cardinals certainly would never choose a reformer at this particular time when so many in church leadership positions have been implicated in the pedophile scandal at least by way of cover up. Add to that the fact that more than half of the current crop of cardinals were named by Pope Ratzinger himself. It will be generations before the Catholic Church begins to reform itself - unfortunately.
    Beaglemom

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    1. Anonymous9:33 AM

      This Pope did not 'name' more than HALF of the current cardinals. You need to do further research, Beaglemom, as much as I usually enjoy reading your commentary. You are WRONG in this matter! This is written by a 'former' Catholic.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1:35 PM

      Anon at 9:33 am. Just read an article in the New York Times about the upcoming conclave. Of the 117 cardinals who will participate (those over 80 years old will not take part), 50 were named by Pope John Paul II and 67 by Pope Benedict (aka Ratzinger). An interesting article - the new pope must be doctrinally perfect and somewhere along the list of qualities should care about the poor.

      We recently watched the delightful Italian movie about electing a pope ("We Have a Pope"); my personal preference this time around is the French actor Michel Piccoli; he was marvelous in the movie.
      Beaglemom

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  35. Anonymous5:47 AM

    http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/rhode-island-judge-releases-documents-revealing-inner-workings-legion-christ

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  36. Anonymous7:53 AM

    You have been duped. The ITCCS is a lone individual masquerading as an “international tribunal” in order to peddle his preposterous conspiracy theories. http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread926267/pg1

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  37. Anonymous9:31 AM

    I don't believe this story...I personally think the Pope is in poor health and knows he can no longer lead as is expected of him. I see humility!

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    1. That is likely the reason the ITCCS is a fake court. The guy behind it has been banned from entering the UK because he was going to "arrest" the Queen. This entire frackas is an attempt by a con artist to grab attention and get people to donate to his "court"

      Delete
  38. Anonymous12:32 PM

    "Fact is, that any enterprise that excludes women almost always descends into sexual deviancy... Whether it's the Boy Scouts, the Penn State locker room or on Wall Street, sooner later a bunch of innocent folks get fucked. Show me any culture that's traditionally hostile to women and I will show a culture that is screwed up."

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/16/bill-maher-pope-resignation-hillary-clinton_n_2701781.html

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  39. Given the ITCCS is a fake court being run by as far as I can tell a scam artist. I would take anything that Kevin Annett says with a serious grain of salt. the more digging I do the more bull shit I turn up on this entire thing.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous12:32 PM

    Why did the pope resign was there a warrant for is arrest check this out WHY DID THE POPE RESIGN

    ReplyDelete

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