As a non-Catholic - I wish Pope Francis godspeed on this mission of mercy.
7 Likes
As a non-Catholic atheist who has read sociology of religion, I am interested that it comes from South America, which is where some of the most exciting progressive Catholicism originates.
8 Likes
This may be a dumb question, but isn’t the Pope the Supreme Decider here? Whom does he ask, other than God, who as far as I know never said anything on the subject? Does he have to call a council to debate this?
3 Likes
His decisions are considered infallible, yes, but he’s a fool if he just out and does this without at least the cardinals supporting him.
4 Likes
Yes, but it would be hilarious (to a non-Catholic non-priest) if he just stood up on the balcony and said, “You know all that celibacy stuff? Never mind.”
7 Likes
IIRC the Pope who introduced all this celibacy stuff had several kids – and those were just the legitimate ones.
What I’m curious about is how this will play out given so many priests – especially in the upper echelons – are gay. That might be why Francis is doing it – to stop scaring away straight candidates for priesthood. But what happens in countries where gay marriage is legal, but the Catholics haven’t budged on their dogma re: expressions of homosexuality?
4 Likes
Would it be safe to say that this whole issue is not just a can of worms, but a complete diet of them?
13 Likes
He’s infallible when he speaks ex cathedra on doctrine, but as this was done by a previous Pope, I think undoing it requires some sort of council. It’s a rule that nobody else went in for and the Church seems to have got very hung up on it. It will be hard to undo. But the alternative may be complete irrelevancy for the Church - while the Russian Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox may pick up progressive Catholics, it’s more likely it will simply lose members.
6 Likes
It’s kind of the opposite. The Diet of Worms was supposed to put paid to the Protestant heresy and keep things traditional, but failed. The Pope is trying to modernise the Church.
6 Likes
To me, that’s exactly what this looks like!
not just a can of worms, but a complete diet of them?
what you did there, I see it. 
3 Likes
I’m just a Putinbot*, you can’t expect me to understand humor.
*According to some.
2 Likes
I can’t expect you (or you or you or you) to anything!!
For real, that’s where I try to head off most of life’s troubles.
I quite like your humor where I’ve seen it, myself I tend more towards plucking the low hanging fruits. And your knowledge of Rus, Soviet, and modern Russian history and culture is of value to my mind. Thanks for when you nerd out on that!
1 Like
5 Likes
I had up-thread deliberately misunderstood the attempt to make a joke about the Diet of Worms. And
I was referring to the discovery that, in the event I were to use Twitter (which I don’t, but let it pass) I would be identified as a Russian bot. Because I have an account with Yandex (related to my Russian class). And that means I’m controlled by the Kremlin.
Ah well, at least Tim Cook, not my favorite person but at least somewhat influential, dismissed the idea that Russia swung the US election, just last week. He identified that the issue was with the Government failing to address the weaknesses of the US election propaganda rules, on which I agree with him 100%.
But Twitter can get stuffed.
5 Likes
[storms out, slams door]
4 Likes
Oh dear. Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, going down the garden to eat some worms.
13 Likes
Well, that’s what you would say, isn’t it Enkita? If that is your real name… 
7 Likes
I confess. My imya Iban Ibanovich Enkitov. Nice day today in St. Peterburg, 6 degrees and some sun earlier. Soon I go for stroll along bank of Neva with dog, think up new ways to destroy Western capitalism. Very difficult when Western governments doing such good job themselves.
Edit - on the Tracey Ullman show last Friday she suggested a Russian takeover of bakers who could then ice suitable slogans onto their cakes. “NATO Sucks!”
11 Likes
[Shuffles newspaper, looks around nervously]
Ahem. I hear that in Moscow, November is a winter month.
[Stands up, leaves newspaper on the bench and hurries away into the crowd]
7 Likes
You didn’t read the latest Trump tweet. It was supposed to be the day before yesterday’s Izvestiya (“Fake news”). You left Pravda (MAGA). Pay more attention, tovarishch, we don’t pay him to put out this stuff for nothing.
4 Likes