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ramonmercado said:
Still, I wonder what Ali Agca is doing these days?

He am Jesus Christ, according to himself.
 
Australian priest first to be excommunicated by Pope Francis
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-a ... -1.1541165
Accused of heresy, throwing away consecrated host, speaking against church

Pope Francis pictured during the weekly audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican last May. Photograph: REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito

Patsy McGarry

Thu, Sep 26, 2013, 14:59

An Australian Catholic priest Fr Greg Reynolds (60) has been excommunicated by Pope Francis because of his views on women priests. It is understood to be the first excommunication of any kind to take place under this Pope since he assumed office last March.

In a letter the Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart said “the decision by Pope Francis to dismiss Fr Reynolds from the clerical state and to declare his automatic excommunication has been made because of his public teaching on the ordination of women contrary to the teaching of the Church and his public celebration of the Eucharist when he did not hold faculties to act publicly as a priest.”

Fr Reynolds told the US National Catholic Reporter (NCR) website he believed the excommunication also resulted from his support for the gay community. He told NCR that in the last two years, he has attended rallies in Melbourne advocating same-sex marriage and has officiated at mass weddings of gay couples on the steps of Parliament, “all unofficial of course.”

He continued, concerning Pope Francis, “I am very surprised that this order has come under his watch; it seems so inconsistent with everything else he has said and done.”

A letter from Archbishop Hart to the other priests in the archdiocese explained that Fr Reynolds’ his excommunication was “because of his public teaching on the ordination of women.” Ordaining, supporting, or becoming a female priest has been explicitly grounds for automatic excommunication since at least 2008, following a declaration by Pope Benedict.

Pope Francis has repeatedly stated that his beliefs on the subject are aligned with that declaration.

He did not address the issue in his interview last week with Jesuit publications.

In November 2010 Australian media reported that Fr Reynolds had devoted his homily at three parishes over a weekend the previous September to proclaiming it was God’s will to include women in the priesthood and said denying women the right equalled “obstructing the work of the Holy Spirit.”.

In August 2011 Fr Reynolds resigned his position as pastor of two rural parishes and Archbishop Hart subsequently removed his priestly faculties. Fr Reynolds went on to found Inclusive Catholics as a way “to minister to and with Catholic people who share” his beliefs on women’s ordination and homosexuality, according to the Inclusive Catholics website. He also continued to say Masses and celebrate the Eucharist.

In August 2012 he he was involved in controversy when it was reported in Australian media that a dog had received Communion at a recent service. Fr Reynolds said at the time he was not aware of the incident with the dog during the liturgy and only learned of it later.

In a letter of August 10th 2012 Archbishop Hart wrote to him saying “as your statements and actions are inconsistent of your resignation from active priestly ministry and the consequent suspension of your faculties to act publicly as a priest, I am forced to warn you that if this stance continues, I will be forced to take further canonical action for the good of the Church.”

The following month, September 2012, Archbishop Hart said he would initiate canon law proceedings against Reynolds for his dismissal from the clerical state. However the Archdoicese has since said this did not happen but that unknown people had contacted the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), which then requested Fr Reynolds’ file from Archbishop Hart.
 
Pope Francis under threat from the Mafia after anti-corruption sermons
Pope Francis has called on the Mafia to repent for “exploiting and enslaving people”
By IrishCentral Staff Writers,
Published Friday, November 15, 2013, 7:45 AM
Updated Friday, November 15, 2013, 7:45 AM

The Mafia are considering a strike on Pope Francis, a senior prosecutor in southern Italy has warned.

The Pope's life is in danger due to his desire to stamp out corruption in a 'total clean up,' which is making organized crime groups 'nervous.'

In one of his first sermons after he was elected Pope he called on the mafia to repent for 'exploiting and enslaving people.'

On Monday, during a sermon, the Pope said that officials who took bribes should be “tied to a rock and thrown in the sea.”

In response, deputy chief prosecutor of the Reggio Calabria region, Nicola Gratteri has said members of the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta mafia are concerned by Pope Francis' crusade against corruption, “wearing his iron crucifix, as he rails against worldly goods and plans a total clean up”.

He told the Italian daily newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano: “Those that are in the financial arms of the mafia are concerned by Pope Francis, yes.

“Those who until now have been feeding off the wealth and power that comes directly from the Church are agitated and nervous.”

He added: “Papa Bergoglio [sic] is dismantling the centers of economic power in the Vatican. If the bosses could take him down they would not hesitate.”

The prosecutor said the mafia would not be capable of such a strike, considering the Vatican security are so advanced.

“I do not know if organised criminal gangs are in a position to do something, but they are certainly considering it. It's a dangerous time for Pope Francis.”

The 'Ndrangheta group is considered by experts to be one of the most dangerous in Italy.

Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Pope-F ... z2l68cJzdy
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Actually, if the Mafia killed the Pope, they'd make a martyr out of him - which would ultimately cause people to rise up against them, perhaps wiping them out.
 
I am deeply disappointed for Miley Cyrus. :roll:
 
The Village People have a new member.

American gay magazine names Pope Francis person of the year
Advocate magazine names pontiff "most influential person" on lives of LGBT community
By SEAN DUNNE, IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Thursday, December 19, 2013, 7:21 AMUpdated Thursday, December 19, 2013, 7:21 AM

Pope Francis has added yet another honorary award to his belt for 2013. Not only has he been named Time magazine's person of the year, but Advocate magazine have now the pontiff as their person of the year.

The Advocate which is America’s oldest gay rights magazine, chose the head of the Catholic Church as the “single most influential person of 2013” on the lives of LGBT people.

The magazine acknowledged as a leader to over 1 billion Catholics, he is in a very powerful position and his messages are well received worldwide as the popularity of Pope Francis continues to grow.

The Advocate believes that he changed the course of previous popes with one simple statement

“If someone is gay and seeks the lord with good will, who am I to judge?”

The Advocate believes that this simple statement that generated headlines around the world has changed the thinking in the minds of many Catholics.

The Advocate wrote,

“The brevity of that statement and the outsized attention it got immediately are evidence of the pope’s sway.

His posing a simple question with very Christian roots, when uttered in this context by this man, “Who am I to judge?” became a signal to Catholics and the world that the new pope is not like the old pope.”

This isn’t the first time that Pope Francis has shown support to the LGBT community. In an interview with America Magazine, Pope Francis recalled,

“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person.”

Francis 'has not yet said the Catholic Church supports civil unions' between same-sex couples, but the comments he has made have 'already caused reflection and consternation within his church.' reports The Daily Mail.



Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Pope-F ... z2o3qek61x
Follow us: @IrishCentral on Twitter | IrishCentral on Facebook
 
At last, we have a Pope who is humble (apparently).
 
We saw him Rome a few weeks ago. There were crowds there, and we could tell that they really loved him. It wasn't just the reverence and deference that you'd expect. People were laughing and waving to him, not hysterical, just joyous.

Of course all Popes might get this reaction, I dunno, he's the first one I've seen, but I've never been among so many people who seemed to truly love a public figure.
 
Now Gay Albino monks stalk the Pope...

Swiss Guard claims existence of secret ‘gay society’ at Vatican
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/eu ... -1.1662899

Former commandant claims ‘security and safety’ of Pope threatened

A former commandant of the Swiss Guard has claimed that a “secret society” of homosexuals in the Holy See threatens the security and safety of Pope Francis.

Paddy Agnew

Tue, Jan 21, 2014, 11:39

A former commandant of the Swiss Guard has claimed that a “secret society” of homosexuals in the Holy See threatens the security and safety of Pope Francis.

Speaking to the Swiss weekly Schweiz Am Sonntag, Elmar Maeder, who was commandant of the Swiss Guards from 2002 to 2008, said:

“Gays tend to show one another a lot of solidarity and this leads them to be more loyal to one another rather than to an institution. In the end, they become a sort of secret society, secret enough to put the Pope’s safety at risk.”

Ex-commandant Maeder, who gave no example of an occasion when the Pope’s safety had been risked, also said that if he had discovered that one of his guards was gay, he would blocked his career.

“I have no problem with homosexuality but the risk of disloyalty to the (Swiss Guard) corps would have been too high,” he said.

Mr. Maeder said the all-male environment of the Roman Curia acted “like a magnet” for gay men, just as schools and sports clubs and other places where children gather attracted ‘would-be paedophiles.’

He furthermore claimed that when he left the service of the Holy See, he had informed his superiors of his concerns.

Mr. Maeder’s comments come two weeks after two unnamed former Swiss Guards had told the same newspaper that they had been sexually harassed by members of the Roman Curia, including on at least one occasion by a Cardinal.

The Swiss Guards, who have served as bodyguards and ceremonial guards to the Pope since the late 15th century, are easily distinguishable around the Vatican by their distinct multi-coloured Renaissance-style uniforms.
 
Send for the soothsayers - we must find the meaning behind these omens!

Pope's peace doves attacked by crow and seagull

Two white doves released by children standing alongside Pope Francis in Vatican City as a peace gesture have been attacked by other birds.
A seagull and a crow swept down on the doves after they were set free from the Apostolic Palace during the Pope's weekly Angelus prayer.
Tens of thousands of people watched as one dove struggled to break free.

But the crow pecked repeatedly at the other dove. It is not clear what happened to the doves that flew away.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25905108

We are all Doomed!!
 
If the Pope says SH!T in the woods does anyone hear him?

He said what?! Pope Francis lets slip the F-word during Vatican address
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/mamma ... 65923.html

Pope Francis managed to cause a stir at his mass weekly Vatican address by seemingly dropping the F-Bomb with all the ease of a drunk docker in a pub
ROB WILLIAMS Author Biography Monday 03 March 2014

"To err is human; to forgive, divine", said the English poet Alexander Pope. Words that may be of some comfort to his namesake (sort of) Pope Francis after he accidentally used some distinctly unholy language during a Papal address to thousands in St Peter's Square.
l
It wasn't, however, an attempt by the man dubbed the 'People's Pope' to further connect with ordinary Italians - though it won't have done any harm.

The leader of 1.2 billion Catholics across the world, most of whom consider him God's representative on earth, managed to cause a stir at his mass weekly Vatican address by seemingly dropping the F-Bomb with all the ease of a drunken docker in a public house.

Pope Francis, who is renowned for the common touch he has brought to his Papacy, and was recently voted Time man of the year, stumbled over the Italian word for 'example' - "caso".



Instead the word that slipped out was "cazzo" -- which means " F***" or refers to the male genitalia (depending on interpretation).

To make matters considerably worse the 77-year-old Argentinian pontiff's gaffe came at a moment of heartfelt sincerity as he appealed to the international community to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis in the Ukraine.

"I make a heartfelt appeal to the international community to support every initiative on behalf of dialogue and harmony," he said.

"A heart full of longing for possession is a heart empty of God. For this, Jesus many times chastised the rich because the risk for them to seek security in the wealth of this world is high."

"In this fxxx... in this case the providence of God is made visible as gesture of solidarity."

It didn't take long for the embarrassing slip-up to be shared widely across social media sites. The pontiff’s error was quickly published on YouTube and has since garnered tens of thousands of hits.

YouTube users had some sympathy for the unfortunate Pope.

Giorgio Olori wrote: "Okay come on! He is a man too!" While another commented: "This is a Pope who is outspoken."

“He wanted to say, ‘in this case’ - it’s a simple mistake made by a foreigner reading Italian, nothing more,” another wrote.

Perhaps Pope Francis had accidentally reverted to his hard man persona. It was revealed earlier this year that he had previously worked as a bouncer in a bar in Buenos Aires...
 
ramonmercado said:
If the Pope says SH!T in the woods does anyone hear him?

...
Except, it's pretty clear that Pope Francis mispronounced a word in Italian.
...

Pope Francis, who is renowned for the common touch he has brought to his Papacy, and was recently voted Time man of the year, stumbled over the Italian word for 'example' - "caso". Instead the word that slipped out was "cazzo" -- which means " F***" or refers to the male genitalia (depending on interpretation).

...
There was no intentional use of a swearword and really, no story. Worse piece of clickerbation I've seen from a national newspaper for a while. Since the day before yesterday, anyway.
 
Mind your handbags.

Pope Francis confesses to stealing dead confessor's rosary beads from casket
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/eu ... 71864.html

Pope Francis. Reuters

DENISE CALNAN – PUBLISHED 07 MARCH 2014 11:14 AM

Pope Francis has confessed to stealing the rosary cross of his late confessor and wearing it under his cassock to this day.

The Pope admitted to taking the cross from his late confessor’s casket during an informal chat with Roman priests on Thursday, Associated Press report from the Vatican.

Pope Francis was telling Roman the story of the ‘great confessor’ of Buenos Aires who had heard confessions from most of the diocesan priests as well as from Pope John Paul II when he visited Argentina.

Francis told the priests of how he prayed by his open casket and was shocked that nobody else had brought flowers.

''This man forgave the sins of all the priests of Buenos Aires, but not a single flower ...?" Francis said.

He told of how he placed flowers in the open casket and noticed the priest still had his rosary cross in his hand.

"And immediately there came to mind the thief we all have inside ourselves and while I arranged the flowers I took the cross and with just a bit of force I removed it," he said, showing with his hands how he pulled the cross off the rosary. "And in that moment I looked at him and I said 'Give me half your mercy."'

The Pope said he kept the cross in his pocket for years and now keeps it in a small pouch underneath his robes.

"And whenever a bad thought comes to mind about someone, my hand goes here, always," he said, gesturing to his heart. "And I feel the grace, and that makes me feel better."
 
Splendid. I hope he visits the Shankill Road.

Belfast City Council to invite Pope Francis to the city
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-26846017

The motion was passed by 30 votes to zero, with unionists abstaining

Councillors in Belfast have voted in favour of inviting the Pope to the city.

The proposal was backed by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance, but unionists councillors abstained.

Earlier this year, the Irish senate unanimously voted to invite Pope Francis for an official visit.

Pope Francis is due to meet the Queen on Thursday, and unionists argued it would be appropriate for her and the government to issue such an invitation.

DUP councillor Lee Reynolds said the motion presented by the SDLP "was essentially an election stunt and it wasn't a game we were willing to play".

"They were wanting an insult and we weren't going to give them that, so we chose the path of abstention," he said.

Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers, who had previously spoken out against issuing an invitation to the Pope, said he had decided to abstain after "giving the issue a lot of thought".

"I am concerned at the likelihood of trouble on our streets ... and I don't want any religious or civic leader coming here to find themselves offended and see violence on a large scale," he said.

Pope Francis
Belfast City Council will invite Pope Francis to the city
SDLP councillor Pat McCarthy said he was glad that unionists had not opposed the motion.

"I'm saddened that they couldn't find it in their hearts to support it, and send out a positive message from our city that we are progressing," he said.

Mr McCarthy said the council would write to the Pope's representatives and to the Northern Ireland Assembly, but added that it would be "wonderful if Her Majesty could welcome Pope Francis to Belfast".

Sinn Féin councillor Jim McVeigh said: "It was a pretty civil debate, and in politics it is OK to disagree, but it is unfortunate that unionist parties couldn't bring themselves to show that little bit of generosity.

"We have had the Dalai Lama in Belfast for example, he was very welcome and we learned something, and it should be the same for the Pope or any faith leader."

The only papal visit to Ireland saw Pope John Paul II come to Dublin in 1979.
 
Don't know if any of you saw it, but there was a really good programme on BBC1 last night about the man.
I am not a catholic, nor am I religious, but I have to say I like the man !
 
I prefer him to the last joker they had in the job.
 
ramonmercado said:
Mythopoeika said:
I prefer him to the last joker they had in the job.

Those krauts nevewr had a great sense of humour.

Please don't call Germans Kraut. It's not funny, it's racist and I find it insulting.
 
Loquaciousness said:
ramonmercado said:
Mythopoeika said:
I prefer him to the last joker they had in the job.

Those krauts nevewr had a great sense of humour.

Please don't call Germans Kraut. It's not funny, it's racist and I find it insulting.

I don't accept that it is racist. Its a term thats used for Germans.
 
It's a derogatory term, therefore it is racist. It is not a 'term' for Germans. No doubt that this is due to my German lack of humour, before you try and pull that one on me.
 
Loquaciousness said:
It's a derogatory term, therefore it is racist. It is not a 'term' for Germans. No doubt that this is due to my German lack of humour, before you try and pull that one on me.

I've spent my adult life fighting fascists both physically and on a propaganda level. I'm not going to take that nonsense from you. Most if not all of these fascists get gheir inspiration from a certain deceased German politician.t

The fact that you don't like something doesn't mean it is racist. You also seem to be upset by swearing. I fear you have been possessed by the ghost of Mary Whitehouse.

I suggest you put me on ignore.
 
ramonmercado said:
Loquaciousness said:
It's a derogatory term, therefore it is racist. It is not a 'term' for Germans. No doubt that this is due to my German lack of humour, before you try and pull that one on me.

I've spent my adult life fighting fascists both physically and on a propaganda level. I'm not going to take that nonsense from you. Most if not all of these fascists get gheir inspiration from a certain deceased German politician.t

The fact that you don't like something doesn't mean it is racist. You also seem to be upset by swearing. I fear you have been possessed by the ghost of Mary Whitehouse.

I suggest you put me on ignore.
Are you suggesting that all Germans are fascists?
 
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