Ratzinger to Stay at Vatican for Immunity

I hear the Seal Team 6 guys are looking for work…

I couldn’t do it. Retire from Pope, I mean. Going back to regular-sized hats? Madness!

I couldn’t do it. Retire from Pope, I mean. Going back to regular-sized hats? Madness!

Not to worry — he’ll no doubt still be at least a bishop and probably a cardinal. Both positions allow for the wearing of a mitre, as well as other funny hats.

Trebuchet, sure, but he’ll get hats, but it won’t be the same. Every time he sees New Pope walk past, he’ll catch a glimpse of his hat and, knowing what he gave up, his heart will break.

@ OP

So I tend to think that he really did resign for health reasons

Well it is always possible they learnt a lesson from the shambled debacle that was JP2, but RCC does not do learning that is 3/4 of their problem.

I think that continuing to sit as head of a virtual potentate he would be the lightening conductor and the one that organizations would call on directly to answer some very awkward questions.

Now that does not mean he would…more likely a rather ponderous mish mash of vague and unrelated bollix would be the response but it is being noticed that he is in the frame and the questions and charges just keep piling up.

There is only so much a Vatican spokesperson can cover up and the scandals are not going away and are the ones where he is affectively skewered because arguably he was the architect of the subsequent cover up’s.

The clue is in the OP…

“His continued presence in the Vatican is necessary, otherwise he might be defenseless. He wouldn’t have his immunity, his prerogatives, his security, if he is anywhere else,” said one Vatican official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

And why would he need security…

It will also offer legal protection from any attempt to prosecute him in connection with sexual abuse cases around the world, Church sources and legal experts say.

So there we have it…the Vatican are well aware of his / their problem.

This is a blatant admittance that Benny has a prima facie case to answer, where before now they clucked and mumbled and prevaricated and shuffled feet and looked away and pretended to be distracted by something else.

They do not want him exposed to the world and be seen blatantly avoiding or ignoring questions at gatherings or press conferences…the dude is a liability, a walking time bomb, to the RCC…they are not going to risk it especially as age rots what is left of a toxic little mind and obvious deficit in actual IQ.

So by all means buy the RCC line, and pretend it is all legit.

But RCC and legit in the same sentence…diametrically opposed contexts there, name one time in the last 2000 yrs when the RCC were actually acting legitimately in any context that was not to their own ultimate glory?

IT DOES NOT EXIST!

It’s not just a question of immunity, I think. When he announced his plan to resign, he said said his physical and mental strength was no longer up to the task. What if he’s been diagnosed with the onset of Alzheimer’s? That would certainly impair his ability to do the job – but it also means that he couldn’t be counted on not to get confused and spill the beans, so to speak. An ex-pope who sometimes doesn’t know who he’s talking to is a ticking time bomb.

Kevin @ 6

.in a just world, he’d spend a week in agony for every child’s tear shed at the hands of one of his priests.

Agreed, but only if he had knowledge of the transgressions which caused and opportunity to mitigate, avoid or punish those responsible for said tears. Otherwise you are advocating torture for crimes not committed. That should remain a monopoly of the theists.

However, this is why I’m sure there is no god. Nothing of the sort will happen.

This is a significant reason for theistic faith of simple people; to make axiomatic the punishment of those who escape justice during their lifetimes.

tommykey: so who gets to put a bullet in the guy’s head while saying “…just got revoked, asshole”?

Obama seems fond of extrajudicial drone strikes in foreign lands. Ratzinger as a candidate would conflict me between hating the program and loving the results. Of course, those drone strikes often kill everyone in the building with the target, but I hear there will be a council soon, with all the top leaders of an international crime syndicate present…

It seems pretty clear to me that he resigned because, as pope, he would be expected to travel, and as soon as he did, he might be arrested. So if you can’t avoid leaving the Vatican while pope, you’d better stop being pope.

…Benedict should have a “dignified existence” in his remaining years.

Why?

I think his health may be a part of the issue, but I cannot help thinking there’s something else at play, as well. It’s been almost 600 years since the last Papal resignation, and as a result of that it’s certainly not unusual for popes to stay pope years after they are no longer up to the task. As much as I disliked JPII, I was embarrassed for him in his public appearances the last few years of his life. No one should be put on display in public in that kind of condition. Apparently, though, that wasn’t an obstacle to the RCC then, for for 600 years, so why now, all of a sudden? I will be VERY curious to see what comes out about this in the next few months/years.

Yep…Leopards change not their spots…nor tigers their stripes lose..even the manes stay attached to the lion head…so it is with the RCC.

Popes do not resign unless it is of greater benefit to the RCC, it does not happen and the RCC is not an altruistic magisterium nor it it a particularly humane one…

If there was not some over compelling reason they would expect, if not demand, that Benny sat on the seat to the end of his days in whatever state he was in…

Remember they sell the sensationalist rubbish that the pope is as near as it is possible to get a god on earth, his special envoy, the peter of his generation, a saint in waiting etc etc etc…they do not take kindly to the notion that they can be fired, retired or changed just because, once pope that is it for life…that is their attitude and as far as I know always has been!

So this nonsense is because their is compelling reason, they want him out of the media scrutinizing his every word…every gesture….every look.

They cannot risk benny having a senior moment…that would bring the shit down on all of their heads.

And in some style I would imagine.

Nope better for them to bury the bad news away and pretend the new pope knows nothing anyway…the unpleasantness is all in the distant past.dah de dah de dah…they are trying to bury it simples it has done far to much damage and that damage is getting worse, they are trying to limit it, this is an example of extreme damage control…but they are desperate.

He should make sure all large vents are covered before asking Cardinal Vader to invite his secret son to the Vatican so he can be converted.

Pope Benedict, who will return to being Joseph Ratzinger after his resignation is official

This was the first pope where I saw a substantial number of people never stopped referring to him by his pre-inauguration name. I think I’ve seen “Ratzinger” more than “Benedict” in the last eight years. It’s been great; I hope it continues.

I’ve been picturing a piece of paper with the heading “Should I Resign?” A line down the middle with pro on the left and con on the right.

More free time — Not enough hobbies.

No monitoring of overnight visitors — Ganswein dumps me for new pope.

That sort of thing

d. c. wilson,

But seriously, this isn’t just about the Vatican. This would be an invasion of Italy. Yeah, they could land helicopters in St. Peter’s Square, probably killing a few toursists in the process, but do we really want to open an invasion-of-a-NATO-country can of worms, because notwithstanding the sovereign status of Vatican City, Italians would regard this as an invasion of Rome and a violation of Italian sovereignty. The diplomatic blowback would be incalculable.

“…Benedict should have a “dignified existence” in his remaining years.

Why?”

Because, in Benny’s words”

“Si EGO sum subcribo , vos totus es subcribo me; quod aufero vestri foetidus , spurcus manuum ex meus mitre! Operor vos agnosco, podeces?”

Loose translation:

“If I go down, we ALL go down; and take your filthy, stinking hands offa my hat! Verstehen Sie,arschloch?*”

* The popester sometimes slips into his native tongue. And we ALL know who else spoke german!

PS: Is the Vatican “state” a member of NATO?