Posted on 04/17/2005 2:55:46 PM PDT by presidio9
Rome -- One-hundred-and-fifteen men will lock themselves into the Sistine Chapel on Monday afternoon, gaze up at the magnificent ceiling fresco of Michelangelo, and start to pray for the collective wisdom to choose the next Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
In a matter of days, one of them will emerge as the leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics and, according to Catholic doctrine, the successor not only to Pope John Paul II but to Saint Peter the Apostle.
"The legacy is incredible. We are at such an important point in the history of the church," said the Rev. Mark Brentnall, 44, an English priest studying in Rome. "It is the one who would least want the keys of Peter who may be the best man."
Brentnall, along with the Rev. Steven Lopes, 30, from the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and two other priests, sat in the library of Casa Santa Maria, a seminary just a short walk from Trevi Fountain.
These young priests could live for decades with the choice made in the next few days by the College of Cardinals, whose members' average age is 72.
And so could the rest of the world, for the challenges the new pope faces extend far beyond the confines of the Catholic Church.
In a series of interviews conducted in Rome and Vatican City over the past week, church leaders, scholars and other informed observers said five key issues confront the princes of the church and the man who will be pope.
They are:
-- Bioethical and medical issues such as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, birth control and euthanasia;
-- Power-sharing in the church between the pope, the Vatican bureaucracy, individual bishops and national organizations such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops;
-- Globalization and
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
You're talking to me about politeness?I wasn't talking about sinkspur, but rather about you -- or, more correctly, your behavior. That's why I didn't ping him.
Feel free to say what you want.
I am very bad,since you are from Texes and a non-catholic and you do not like Catholic's it is natural that you would side with the one from Texes who should never get a ping because we are talking about him. Terri-is -boring-Who-is-the-next-pope-people--have-been-abused-Let's-start-a-new-thread,You are drunk or tired if you disagree and best but not least "I am Not a Deacon Of The Catholic Church".
b. You still don't get -- I was talking about your abominable behavior towards Sinkspur, not Sinkspur himself.
c. Why are you in such denial that you have to invent things out of whole cloth?
b. You still don't get -- I was talking about your abominable behavior towards Sinkspur, not Sinkspur himself.
c. Why are you in such denial that you have to invent things out of whole cloth?
Sinkspur you must be out of town.I would never say anything bad against sinkspur.He said I could not keep the vow of chasity"A vow is defined as a promise made to God. The promise is binding, and so differs" -He left for sex.He said a few things about his elders there that you as a non-catholic would have never read on the religious threads so DallasMike,Sinkspur you hit the buttons to get a reaction:)Your act would have continued to work except for Sunkspurs cold heart.Death of Terri-death of Pope.
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