Monday 11 February 2013

Pope Resigns to 'Spend More Time with his Family'

In a move that has shocked the Catholic world, the Pope has become the first Pope to resign to spend more time with his family since the middle ages.

A rare picture of the Pope not looking sinister.

The last Pope to be formally deposed was Benedict XI in 1048 AD.  Although his namesake was deposed over alleged bribery, rather than as a result of covering up child abuse cases before he came to office.

This is not the first split that Benedict XVI (aka Joseph Alois Ratzinger) has had with a right wing organisation.  In 1945 he deserted from the German Wermacht (possibly the Luftwaffe, wikipedia is unclear on this point), having previously been an unenthusiastic member of the Hitler Youth.

The Pope is not only giving up a position of diminishing spiritual leadership over the world's 1 billion believers, but also temporal power over the Vatican City, the world's smallest country created in 1929 as part of an agreement between the church and Mussolini's fascist state.

In December, the Pope pardoned his former Butler who had been convicted in a Vatican court of leaking documents exposing corruption within the Catholic Church.

Dan Brown was unavailable to comment.

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Unusually, the Pope's own Twitter account (@Pontifex) is silent on his deposition.  His last tweet is 1 day ago:-

"We must trust in the mighty power of God's mercy.  We are all sinners,  but His grace transforms us and makes us new."

Well it looks like 'His Grace' had a word in the ear of Benedict, and had him resign before he was 'transformed' by a little accident.




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18 comments:

  1. Anonymous11 February 2013 at 13:06

    Is it me or is it a co-incidence that he resigned the day before Pancake Tuesday?

    Perhaps someone at the Vatican 'Lent' on him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11 February 2013 at 14:59

      A bit of a sour comment

      Delete
    2. CC, Original and Best14 February 2013 at 20:29

      Imagine the embarrassment when he turns up at Easter to explain he was only giving up for Lent.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous11 February 2013 at 14:16

    ?If this had been a leap year, would he have struggled on for until the 29th?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan Brown11 February 2013 at 14:17

      Perhaps if it had been a leap year, his mistress could have proposed to him?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11 February 2013 at 14:58

      I thought he had sacked his butler

      Delete
  3. Anonymous11 February 2013 at 15:01

    'but His grace transforms us and makes us new' - are you suggesting He is actually Optimus Prime?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown11 February 2013 at 15:07

      I was merely quoting from his last Tweet. Perhaps he's telling us something?

      Delete
  4. Sarah Teather11 February 2013 at 16:39

    I wonder if this was a protest at David Cameron's steamrolling of Gay Marriage through Parliament.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. scratching my head11 February 2013 at 18:56

      Interesting concept, having a Gay or otherwise marriage held on a steamroller going through parliament. Would certainly liven things up a bit, may even help Mr Cameroon reduce the number of elected MP, literally

      Delete
  5. Embembooshkin11 February 2013 at 21:42

    I think it's nice.He'll get to spend more time with his kids.

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    Replies
    1. Unknown11 February 2013 at 22:02

      He could take a leaf out of the Borgias' book, and get his son elected. Or George Bush senior's for that matter.

      Delete
  6. Unknown11 February 2013 at 23:27

    Just one thought on the subject. As the Roman Catholic church has over 1 billion members spread over all the populated continents of the earth, imagine what would happen if it became a force for good?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12 February 2013 at 14:32

      Or they could use some of their vast wealth to wipe out food poverty.

      Delete
    2. Unknown12 February 2013 at 14:47

      I'm not sure whether to stand for Pope or for the Eastleigh by-election.

      Do you have to be a member of the Church to become Pope?

      Delete
    3. scratching my head12 February 2013 at 18:10

      No - any far right group will do....is the hitler youth still going?

      Delete
    4. Unknown12 February 2013 at 18:19

      I think the Young Conservatives are still going.

      Delete
  7. Nigel Falange11 February 2013 at 23:56

    "We are all sinners"

    Speak for yourself Popey.

    ReplyDelete

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