Over rated as hell...

For Pope Benedict to comment on the sexual abuse scandal is like a wolf deploring the slaughter of sheep.  When he was a cardinal, he helped cover up the predator priests’ crimes and told one reporter to “Go f---- yourself! "

I was happy to see Cardinal Ratzinger voted in, as he seemed to be the best candidate. An evolutionist therefore cannot be orthodox / fundamentalist (creationist). One of JPII’s best friends and took care of him at his deathbed. Refused to be conscripted & ran from the Nazi’s to the USA. He is a very well informed man, a traditionalist, bases his morals & politics on the Bible. Helped JPII’s write the Catechism (which now accepts those who believe in evolution). Loves animals, his sermons are center-right and supports Peace, Democracy and freedom. Opposes Racism, dictatorship, tyranny and Socialism. Comments appeared on the Internet one-day claiming he was a NAZI. I already new too much to the contrary of this. I traced these articles back to Marxist newspapers. The next day every TV channel pushed these lies against him. I hope the media dose not deliberately mistranslate his words to the opposite as much as they did with JPII.

I love Kraut clergymen. The kick ass and take names ethic is great!

Based on his record in the past he is ultra conservative. He has said some pretty hurtfull and nasty things to gays, women, sex crime victims, ect... I guess we have to see how he acts as Pope before we can say for sure, lets just hope he branches away from his past history a bit.

I thought Hillary Clinton had a chance of being elected but they must have believed that she might adopt the name Beelzebub (no offense to our Beelzebub) and lost their nerve. We could use a good liberal pope, don't you think? But that cattle-futures mysterious overnight windfall must have been her undoing. If they had only allowed the press to vote, she'd have fared better. She'll have to settle for US President in '08. The press is upset because Cardinal Ratzinger is a conservative. Hmmm. Out of 119 Cardinals, 112 were elevated to Cardinal by Pope John Paul II. I wonder where all the conservatives came from?

In other significant news, Joey Johnson was recently elected president of the invisible nonexistant Bunny Rabbit cult.

aww give the guy a chance. My teacher at JCCHS is a nun and she knows him as says he's one of the nicest guys ever. I'm sure he'll be a good pope.

It's still way to early to judge him, but the fact that he was essentially Pope John Paul II's right hand man is a plus in my book. What I've heard (from people that aren't weirdos) is that he is a humble man. Time will tell.

For the record, I am not a Catholic but I do feel that Pope Benedict XVI will serve the Church well. Correct me if I'm wrong but the last time I checked there still was a difference between being Pope and Chairman of a Condo Board? Yes, I agree that some of the views held by the Church are a bit out dated but the problem is no where near as severe as some would like to believe. Regarding this whole process becoming a media circus...what did you expect? Afterall, Pope John Paul II not only was a tremendously popular pope, but a long lasting one aswell. No one has to love or like him and I suppose it's your option to hate him- but give him a chance. Just because he is a conservative and has strong values doesn't make him an evil fundamentalist.

This is a psychopath, he is hell bent on the return of the great one race one religion of the old dark ages. One should read about this mans exploits and his vision for the future, we are now in great danger for the worlds future.

He has already made statements that are insensitive to women, gays and people of other faiths.

I'm a pretty thoroughly lapsed Catholic, so I don't feel much, if any personal connection here, but the election of Ratzinger looks to me like a business as usual move by the College of Cardinals.

The Illumanati won one this time.

Being a Roman Catholic I am very pleased with the choice of Cardinal Ratzinger as our new Pope Benedict XVI. From what I've been told he is committed to the truisms that embody the Church's Natural Law principles. Though I can't claim to be an austere participant in all our fruitful traditions, I am a staunch believer in our Natural Law doctrine. I wholly believe in our belief structure and I believe Pope Benedict XVI will continue the cause of promoting our values throughout the world, while extending the fecund progression of John Paul II's work. Where I have hope the church can improve greatly is not so much a committment to our rational beliefs but in delivering those beliefs to the world community in a manner that can be easily understood. On the later aspect I believe my church is failing miserably. And my hope is that our new Pope can develop a strategy for bringing our positive message to this troubled world while convincing people of the reasons for which they are just.

He hasn't done anything as a leader yet, so its unfair to rate him now. The media seems to be casting him in a pretty negative light right now, but I think anybody deserves some time before a judgment is made. It will be interesting to see how he serves as Pope after John Paul II's very public and authoritative papacy.

This was an interesting development. Ratzinger was basically JPII's speech writer. I think the pundits' analysis that this is a move to continue the policies of JPII is correct. Ratzinger has been a conservative, but you don't get to head the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith if you aren't into orthodoxy. It is a statement that the Catholic Church doesn't change based upon the whims of the secular world. Maybe that's a good thing. I dunno. I do know that, by failing to support my write-in campaign, you have deprived us of the first Pope George Ringo.

Oh, please. Who cares. The media coverage of this pope thing is funny and ironic - Catholic churches across America have had dwindling attendance for two decades and now the media cares about Catholics. . .this new guy is in charge of a group that will either adapt or continue to slide towards irrelevance.

Give him a chance, please.

This has become a media circus. I'm just glad the next 'holier than anyone else in the world' has been 'selected' by another group of PEOPLE who think they are above us all. Here nor there, it's a religious figure from one of the many religions in the world. I agree, enough with this worldwide media blitz. Move on.

Andrew Sullivan calls the naming as the conservative Cardinal Ratzinger a circling the wagons move by the Catholic Church, and I would agree. It's an indication that Church does not plan to change, does not plan to modernize, and plans to become perhaps even more socially conservative that it was under John Paul II. Can't say I'm surprised - fundamentalism seems to be the word of the day.