• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Do you REALLY care about the next Pope?

How much do you care about who the next Pope is?


  • Total voters
    106

Dragonfly

DP Veteran
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
30,888
Reaction score
19,292
Location
East Coast - USA
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Centrist
I'm already sick to death about all the attention the election of the next Pope is getting. It's headline news all over the internet.
You'd think there's nothing else in the world that's of any importance.

Cardinals head to conclave to elect pope for troubled Church - Yahoo! News

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Roman Catholic cardinals gather under the gaze of Michelangelo's "Last Judgment" on Tuesday to elect a new pope to tackle the daunting problems facing the 1.2-billion-member Church at one of the most difficult periods in its history.

Why the hell is this such a HUGE news item?

Outside of Vatican City, who really cares?

Do you?
Does a pope really effect your daily life?
Do you honestly have a personal stake in who the pope is?
Does your day change at all depending on what the pope says or does?

Is this "next pope" phenomena really that big of a deal?
 
I am not Catholic but I beleive the Catholic Church is overall a force of good in the world. I therefore hope they choose wisely and continue to be a good, powerful institiution world wide.
 
I am not Catholic but I beleive the Catholic Church is overall a force of good in the world. I therefore hope they choose wisely and continue to be a good, powerful institiution world wide.

There's an awful lot in your short little post that's highly debatable.

However, that doesn't really answer my question.

Is the press coverage of this "event" reasonable, or do you find it intrusive and obnoxious?

It's not like the vote for the next pope is a public vote.
 
I agree with you MG that it is getting way, way too much press, and since I'm not Catholic it has little significance for me. However, I think the Pope has potential influence to promote peace in the world, and for that reason alone, I care.
 
A. It's a 24 hour news cycle, and news networks need something to fill in the time. Pope speculation is just part of that.

B. IMO it's the John Paul II effect...he was a very charismatic pope and used world travel and the media with extraordinary effectiveness, and was instrumental in the breakdown of the Soviet Union, so the office of pope is treated with much more seriousness by non-Catholics now than it did before.

As a Catholic it's obviously important to me. To others it's not as vital, but it's still quite newsworthy.
 
Short answer, Yes, I do think there is too much coverage. But it really doesnt bother me.
There's an awful lot in your short little post that's highly debatable.

However, that doesn't really answer my question.

Is the press coverage of this "event" reasonable, or do you find it intrusive and obnoxious?

It's not like the vote for the next pope is a public vote.
 
I couldn't care less... but unfortunately you didn't have that option available. ;)
 
Honestly, I'll pay more attention today to the highlights from last night's Boston Bruins game and the preview for tonight's game than I will the Papal Conclave. I am not Catholic, never will be Catholic, and really couldn't care any less what the Catholic Church does within its own political heirarchy.
 
Any time I see a an unusual level of coverage, on something that has very
little impact on out daily lives, I wonder why the topic and timing.
Is not much else happening? and they need to fill up the time on the news cast,
or is it a distraction?
 
Well, I am an atheist who thinks the Church is a horrible institution. However, I understand why this is making so much news and it SHOULD make news. THe Pope is the religious leader of over 1 billion people on Earth. The things he says and rules (whatever you call them) he passes affect not only the behavior of individuals but the actions of nations, particularly in the developing world where the Church holds the most sway.

I don't care so much who it is because I have low expectations they would choose anyone who would make a positive change. My money is on an old white guy willing to protect child f**kers. Hope I'm wrong.
 
Well, I am an atheist who thinks the Church is a horrible institution. However, I understand why this is making so much news and it SHOULD make news. THe Pope is the religious leader of over 1 billion people on Earth. The things he says and rules (whatever you call them) he passes affect not only the behavior of individuals but the actions of nations, particularly in the developing world where the Church holds the most sway.

I don't care so much who it is because I have low expectations they would choose anyone who would make a positive change. My money is on an old white guy willing to protect child f**kers. Hope I'm wrong.


You think what the pope says and does effect the actions of nations?

I'm thinking most catholics use some form of birth control.
 
Why it's such a big deal is obvious, the Catholic church is massive. Complaining about it is just being oblivious to that fact.

Personally, I don't care.
 
I am somewhere halfway. For one, I'm not catholic... so I shouldn't care... and I don't really. I mean, whether I find out on the day he was elected, who the new Pope is... or a week later, or a month later, it still makes little difference in my life. But I do think its nice to know who the main figureheads are in the world. Lets hope this new pope will be better than the old last one... at least as good as the one before that.
 
As far as news goes, I've seen them cover celebrity weddings and babies with just as much gusto and I think the choosing of the next pope is slightly more important, so let them cover it all they want, I just won't be listening as they do it.

To me it's not important, the church will still do a good bit of charity while still being stuck in the dark ages on certain issues and continue changing their infallible opinion as societal opinions change and progress. It doesn't matter who is the leader, and it doesn't matter if the leader is black or hispanic or Italian. They will continue hiding and aiding child rapists if it benefits them.

Honestly, I don't even understand why Catholics even care. My wife's family is Catholic, and they are acting like this is the most important thing on earth, but if you ask any of them individually if they think the Pope really represents the infallible word of God, they all say no. And in reality, you have to say no, unless you think god changes his opinions on social matters based on what Pope is elected.
 
I pay virtually no attention to it, they're just going to elect another pedophile apologist anyhow, that's all the Catholic Church is these days.
 
I hadn't thought much about it.

But I suppose it would be great if the new Pope could rescind the aversion to birth control and start preaching family-planning responsibility, maybe do away with that "go into all the corners of the earth and multiply" edict that's doing so much population mismanagement harm especially in places like, well, Mexico City, that's spread so virulently here in recent decades, and heck, maybe even stump for the new conception-prevention state-of-the-art pharmaceuticals held up in FDA testing and making them affordable to everyone .. etc. ...

The Pope has a lot of influence power.

If he used it for the benefit of all humanity, courageously so, he could do a lot of good in the world.
 
I'm a history buff and although I'm not Catholic I'm interested in the story considering we might get to watch history made as the next Pope could be from the US, Latin America or Africa and how that shift in the historical norm of most Popes being European will impact society around the world.
.
 
Do I personally care? No. I'm not catholic.

Do I think it's an important issue? Hell yes, as the catholic church, as an organization, is a huge, powerful one.
 
For non Catholics, like me, there is far too much news coverage of electing the next Pope. It absolutely amazes me that this is covered by political cable, and mainstream news. What has the Pope to do with politics?

1/3rd of our population is Catholic. Why do the 2/3rds have to be tortured?
 
... at least as good as the one before that.
It was a unique set of circumstances that make John Paul II a towering figure of the 20th century...in terms of church history, however, his legacy will be much more controversial, the fact that the pedophile priest problems began on his watch being only one of the issues complicating his place in papal history.
 
The thing is, the next pope is not elected by popular vote from the general public.

What "we" think or know has no bearing on who is elected next.

Once a new pope is elected yes, that's news, but this daily drudgery of crap before the formal process has even started is wasted space and generally an annoyance.

I don't care what color curtains are now hanging from some dumb room in some vatican office.
 
It was a unique set of circumstances that make John Paul II a towering figure of the 20th century...in terms of church history, however, his legacy will be much more controversial, the fact that the pedophile priest problems began on his watch being only one of the issues complicating his place in papal history.


I agree that John Paul was an extraordinary Pope. He made the Catholic establishment likable to non Catholics.

One of the problems of staunch dogma institutions, is when the churches dogma overlaps with politics... Such as abortion. It even manifests on posters signature lines.

Separation of church and state, was to insure that established churches were not symbiotic with the laws of the state. When this is ignored by the churches faithful, and they try to codify church dogma... This becomes is a problem... A big problem.
 
...which if you read carefully argues that religious dogma is not necessary to make laws against abortion.

You are skirting around the concept of this whirlpool, trying to have it both ways. It ain't gonna happen.

This issue is best left for the individuals to decide, and not the state. Otherwise the state becomes the slave to the establishment churches by doing their bidding.
 
Back
Top Bottom