Here we go!
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I think you have to frame these terms in reference to a deeply conservative religion. Iāve seen the comments of a couple of the supposed āconservativesā and Iād question if they even count as Christians.
Then again, many organised religions make canon of the interests and prejudices of the rich and powerful. There is a great sketch in Mel Brooksā āHistory of the World (part 2)ā where the bishops at the Council of Nicea are trying to turn the Bible into a Hollywood blockbuster with Jesus as the muscled white action hero.
The first bishop chips in with, āWho are the bad guys in this story? The Jews or the Romans?ā the second replies, āLetās make them the Jews, for sure. They run everything.ā
I remember when Paisley retired, there was a comedian that made a joke about looking out for the colour of smoke coming from Anfield to determine who the new manager was. āItās whiteā¦ must be Joe Fagan!ā
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Looking at that list, there isnāt a great choice of Liberals. If they elect a staunch conservative, the church will further alienate the people who already stopped going to Church, the younger generation and this is like a regression for the church.
I work in a Catholic school which is part the Diocese of Westminster, I have been to Mass as non-Catholic more times than my boss who is from a strong (Irish) Catholic family! She hates the hypocrisy of the Church and the scandals which many churches covered up.
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At least he said it as a joke.
For nowā¦
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Heās got a lot in common with quite a few Popes through the ages.
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Welcome Pope Dominicus Trumpet!
This is connected to religion.
Donāt normally get triggered over religion. But fuck. Let me have 5 min with the dad , Iāll promise some broken bones.
I support euthanasia. Not starving a 3 year old kid to death.
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The dad comes later. Iād fucking maim the fucking āguruā who suggested this first.
Wonāt even need a weapon.
I am taking a Buddhist compassion meditation class on Wednesday nights. We had to send the teacher a picture of something we appreciate. I sent the Liverpool YNWA flag that hangs in the front window of the house (my bride had let me do it because she thought it was fine if it was my worst vice). I explained some of the history of Liverpool in my email to the teacher and the compassion that reverberates in the city for the 97. My teacher asked I speak about Liverpool tomorrow 
And yes, I know: I will not mention @cynicaloldgit @SBYM and @Sithbare.
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Can you clear something up here please?
In the report it said the ritual began at 9.25pm on 21st March and the kid died 40 minutes later. So did the starvation start sometime before that date? Itās all a bit unclear.
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https://x.com/VaticanNews/status/1920512085424787521
Everyone is now eagerly waiting to see who it will be.
Edit
US Cardinal Francis Prevost from Detroit will be Leo XIV
Robert Francis Prevost, first American Pope.
Leo XIV.
Liverpool European Champions 2026?
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How long before Trump claims credit for this one?
Perfect timing for an American, eh?
(Donāt know the man)
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Apparently he is not a Trump fan
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Why did they pick Stephen Hawking for the translation?!
Very difficult to find anything about this guy that is less than an hour old. I did find a link on the Catholic Herald, but their website has crashed!
https://thecatholicherald.com/papabile-of-the-day-cardinal-prevost-could-be-first-superpower-pope-for-us/
Whatās the case for Prevost?
Fundamentally, there are three qualities cardinals look for every time they have to kick the tires on a possible pope: they want a missionary, someone who can put a positive face on the faith; a statesman, someone who can stand on the global stage with the Donald Trumps, Vladimir Putins and Xi Jinpings of the world and hold his own; and a governor, someone who can take control of the Vatican and make the trains run on time, including dealing with its financial crisis.
Thereās a solid argument that Prevost ticks all three boxes.
He spent much of his career in Peru as a missionary, and parts of the rest of it in seminary and formation work, giving him an appreciation for what it takes to keep the fires of faith lit. His global experience would be an asset in the challenges of statecraft, and his naturally reserved and equanimous personality might well lend itself to the art of diplomacy. Finally, his successful runs in various leadership positions ā religious superior, diocesan bishop and Vatican prefect ā offer proof of his capacity to govern.
Moreover, Prevost does not play to classic stereotypes of brash American arrogance. Instead, as both the Italian newspaper La Repubblica and the national TV network RAI recently put it, he comes off as il meno americano tra gli americani, āthe least American of the Americans.ā
Fundamentally, a vote for Prevost would be seen in broad strokes as a vote for continuity with much of the substance of the Pope Francis agenda, but not necessarily the style, as heās more pragmatic, cautious and discreet than the late pope ā all qualities many of his fellow cardinals might well find desirable.
Moreover, Prevost is seen as having more or less the right age profile. He turns 70 in September, so a Prevost papacy likely would be long enough to guarantee stability, not so long as to conjure images of an Eternal Father instead of a Holy Father.
The case against?
To begin with, Prevost is something of a cypher when it comes to many of the contested issues in Catholic life. In terms of where he stands on matters such as the ordination of women deacons, or the blessing of persons in same-sex unions, or the Latin Mass, heās played his cards awfully close to his chest. For some cardinals, that might make Prevost too much of a journey into the unknown, especially among more conservative voters who want some guarantee of greater clarity.
In addition, Prevost is among several US cardinals against whom complaints have been lodged by the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) for allegedly mishandling abuse complaints. One concerns the accused priest in Chicago, the other two priests in Chiclayo in Peru. There is a compelling other side to that story: multiple parties have defended Prevostās conduct in both cases, the canon lawyer who initially represented the Peruvian victims is a disgraced ex-priest with an axe to grind, and while in Chiclayo, Prevost was head of a successful diocesan commission for child protection. Still, the mere hint of culpability might be enough to worry some electors.
At a basic level, there may be concern about whether Prevost really has the charisma to play on the global stage, to inspire and to excite. Given that so much of his work over the years has been behind the scenes, he hasnāt had much of an opportunity to turn the world on with his smile. On the other hand, itās worth recalling that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina had a reputation in Buenos Aires for being a distant, grey figure uncomfortable in the public eye, and we all know how that turned out once he stepped into the Shoes of the Fisherman.
The bottom line is that Prevost satisfies a great deal of what cardinals have traditionally looked for, and even his lack of a clear track record on some disputed issues might be more of an asset than a liability. A 2023 tribute from CTU at the time of his elevation to the College of Cardinals more or less sums up his appeal.
āPrevost brings to the College of Cardinals the heart of a missionary and years of ministerial experience, ranging from academic classrooms to poor barrios to the upper echelons of administration,ā it said. āHe embodies the Gospel call to be ready to serve wherever the Spirit leads.ā
Weāll see in a few days if that strikes at least two-thirds of Prevostās fellow cardinal electors as the profile of a pope.