Pope shows no intention of stepping down

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=722cc19d2582858f&cat=c08dd24cec417021

Pope John Paul II blesses pilgrims and faithful on Sunday during his weekly appearance at the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.
The Associated Press
Updated: 3:25 p.m. ET Feb. 21, 2005VATICAN CITY - Three weeks after being rushed to the hospital with breathing problems, Pope John Paul II is slowly resuming his regular activities while making clear — once again — that he has no intention of stepping down.



Acting with caution, the Vatican said the frail pontiff will not preside at his weekly public audience Wednesday but he will greet and bless the faithful from his apartment window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

However, the Vatican also said John Paul will hold his first meeting with a foreign dignitary since his illness, an audience Tuesday with the prime minister of Croatia, a Roman Catholic bastion in the Balkans.

John Paul met Monday with a group of visiting Spanish bishops.

more...

The pope is going to get more isolated and more isolated... Afraid of catching the flu or unable to hold up to the gruelling schedule... Isn't he allowed retirement!!!

[mr_hat]

1. Pope, in fact, shows no discernable intention at all.

[lovuian]

3. I'm waiting for him to be on a ventilator!!!

and still be pope!!!

[Zerex71]

13. Now don't say that!!!

Millions of people love the Pope and you'll get kicked off the message boards for deriding a "beloved figured". :)

[barb162]

2. I wish he'd get out of that position one way or another; he did zilch

in regard to the pedophile priests here. He should have gotten rid of that Boston cardinal ASAP just for starters.

Maybe the next pope will have a bit more concern about innocent children and about the lay people who pay the damn bills

[FARAFIELD]

4. DAMN

The pope is the man, he did more to free the iron curtain countries than anyone. you are all going to get struck by lightning. Popes are Mortals just like us. Freeing eastern europe vs. some pedophile priests? Nobodies perfect. Just for refrence check out when they told him not to come to Poland and 100k or more showed up in the rain to see him, and he put lech walensa on the stage with him, the man has big iron ones. if you dont like him send him and email and tell him yourself. I dare you.

[barb162]

7. "Freeing eastern europe " ??? The pope didn't free e. Europe

The Russians decided to let E. Europe "go" and let the USSR break up because it wasn't working. This pope really didn't have too much to do with that decision by Gorby. Gorby "freed" the east Europeans. Okay, let's assume he has big iron ones, let's assume I think he's brave too (I do agree). It makes no diff...by his lack of action on the church in the US I think he made a monstrous mistake. He should have cleaned the pedophile priests out as soon as he was sure of the story and I think hundreds/thousands of kids being screwed up is plenty of evidence.

[Zerex71]

14. Look, I hate to break this to all of you (again), but...

1. The Pope is human, he's not in great shape, and he's going to croak soon.
2. The Pope had no more to do with the Iron Curtain falling than did Reagan. The Iron Curtain fell because of capitalistic influences and freedom of the masses which could not be held back.
3. The Pope is really just the guy who ascended to the top of the Vatican hierarchy. In effect, he's a glorified CEO, so let's stop pretending he's this infallible this-that-or-the-other thing.

I hate to sound negative but some perspective is needed here.

[alcuno]

16. I'll take issue with your #2. The Holy Father was a warrior against

communism and deserves the credit. Where did the Iron Curtain begin to fall? Oh that's right, POLAND!

[barb162]

18. Hungary "acted out" in 1957 as I recall and the rebellion was put

down

[VegasWolf]

17. Point #3 is right on. n/t

[Chicago Democrat]

5. Its not his way! He wants to show us how to die.

I love him. Even though I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH HIM. I love JOHN PAUL II, for many many many reasons!

Bless JPII

[CountAllVotes]

6. hey me too! :)

:D

:kick:

[barb162]

8. he's a holy man and it seems he is often having mystical experiences

as his faith is so deep. Maybe he should have been off in a monastery somewhere instead of a pope. But as I have said elsewhere here, dioceses are going bankrupt when he could have had this problem cleaned up. That pedophile stuff was known way before the stories surfaced bigtime. I remember reading in the WSJ ( more than 10 yrs. before the story broke)that the priests were being shipped to NM for "treatment" and the pedophile cases went way up in Albuquerque.

[VegasWolf]

11. Well, maybe he will have a mystical experience that will fill up

the coffers emptied by the pedophile bankruptcies. But
I doubt it.

[DemBones DemBones]

9. Viva il Papa! I applaud him for continuing to work despite his disability

The press has tried to push him into his tomb for years but he keeps on going, albeit more slowly.

He accepted a lifelong position when he became pope and he obviously intends to keep the commitment and let God decide when it's over.

Viva Giovanni Paolo II!

[alcuno]

15. The Holy Father is a rock and he isn't leaving until he's wheels up.

You are so right about the media. They keep trying to push him into his grave and he just pops up again.

Viva il Papa, indeed!

[Tinoire]

10. As well he shouldn't.

The humor in this is amazing from a people who tolerated an insane idiot like Reagan for President.

No need for the Pope to retire- his mind is as sharp as a razor. That of course is extremely distressing to the war-mongerers.

[VegasWolf]

12. He'll never give up power, glad I'm not a Catholic anylonger. n/t

[barb162]

19. it is as if he isn't there mentally (and never was) on the facts: the

pedophile issue, the issue of women/ and or married priests (though to him this issue doesn't even exist as his mind doesn't comprehend such things) and birth control. He does't deal with little facts such as there are far fewer priests today than when he became pope 30 years ago. What has he done to try to recruit priests? Does it occur to him that priests were married in earlier times and if it was okay then, why not now. That married priests would probably be a lot more understanding and there would probably be a lot more of them?

The man is so incredibly stifled by his traditionalism and conservatism. Problems have been festering and gotten a lot worse for his whole watch and there he is with his mysticism