How long has it been now? And Pope Benedict is still doing fine. He could have still been pope today. Something isn’t right.
I know. I keep wondering what will happen if Francis dies first.
I have lived a fairly long and interesting life but without a doubt, the last decade has been really, really strange.
BXVI was removed by a coup. Don’t forget that the World Court was trying to make the pope personally liable for child abuse by (gay) clergy, whom he had actually been trying to root out. I think his resignation (which was not for health reasons, obviously) was because he had been threatened by the UN through the German, Belgian, French and Argentinian component that if he did not resign, they would let Interpol put out an arrest warrant for him. That’s why he said he would not be able to go to the WYD in Brazil, because he couldn’t travel, and the reason that he has rarely been off Vatican sovereign state territory. And even then, such as on his trip to Bavaria, he has stayed with the Nuncio, who resides in a diplomatically protected residence.
And now I think the poor man (BXVI, that is) has Stockholm Syndrome. And the gays who always hated him and surround Francis and hold many offices - including men who had even been suspended or at least marginalized but have now been revived by Francis - are getting their revenge.
BTW, I have always lived in places (artistic areas in cities) where there are a lot of gay men, and I have nothing against them personally. Their souls are their own, and the majority don’t even have enough knowledge now to be held accountable. Most of them have nothing to do with politics and are not responsible for this. But there is definitely a cadre in the all-male environment of the Vatican that has been powerful since VII, was knocked back a bit under JPII as he became incompetent and Ratzinger was essentially already the pope. and then was upset to find that Ratznger as BXVI wanted to seriously clean house.
So they attacked and won. And the people that BXVI removed or marginalized are now Francis’ best friends, and even though most of them are elderly, they’re taking their revenge.
Reminds me of how up in arms the leftists were that Cheney had heart trouble before he became VP. Yet he is still with us 16 years later.