DJ asked, in the comments to a previous post:
Btw, what do you think of this new pope? Or even his new name? I know that everyone I talked to, yesterday, said the same thing – the name Benedict still carries baggage here in the States. *shrug* But none of us are Catholic so?Ķ
Now, first, I must say, THESE ARE ONLY MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS. I’m not (NOT) trying to offend anyone. If Ratzinger someday reads this, I would like him to know that I hope he has a good rest of his life and I’m not trying to be mean behind his back.
Let’s see. My first thought, when I heard they’d elected someone so quickly, was “Yeah, I bet it’s Ratzinger”. I personally had been hoping (in a sort of distant way, it’s not like it was consuming my whole life or anything or I was going to the bookie and placing bets) for someone else. I think JP2 was a nice guy, but I also, in my opinion, feel that the Church could do with some ‘fresh air’. Ratzinger had been JP’s theological advisor for decades, so obviously that’s not gonna happen. He also seems kind of… less loving, if you know what I mean? I’m not sure if I’m making sense here. Yeah, he was in the Hitler Youth, too, which kind of freaks me out (although it was during the time that it was compulsory, and he later did abandon and become an American POW — still though, TO ME, it’s kind of taking the position that Resistance Is Futile which is kind of a slap in the face to those who DID resist, and died for it– again though, my thoughts, and there’s every possibility that I could be wrong).
So, we’re gonna have a very, very, very conservative Pope. Not that that’s huge news, really.
The name… Heh. Well, I didn’t immediately think of Benedict Arnold– my first thought was of eggs, really. But then Latin classes popped up and it has a derivation of ‘blessed’ or ‘holy’ so that kinda makes sense. Plus, you know, he’s naming himself after the other Pope Benedicts that came before him, though I know next to nothing about them. It seems strange, sometimes, choosing a new name when you become pope. Then again, when you’re confirmed, you get to choose a new saint’s name to add to what your parents gave you at birth (and my parents gave me three names when I was born, plus my last name, so I just stuck with those), so I guess this is like, the ultimate extension of that. When I was a kid I used to think that Popes were named after the Beatles (you know, John, Paul…) — Pope Ringo might be cool.
Finally, I was looking at his picture earlier. I don’t think I’d ever seen him smile in any other photo or TV appearance or anything ever, so when I saw this picture I was like “Whoa. He sort of reminds me of someone. Who is it?”
I thought and I thought and I thought, combing my memory for anyone who he might be reminding me of. Then I got this!
The Pope? Sort of reminds me of
An older Arnold Horshack. He does!
Anyway. Get your Pope Fridge Magnets Here.
Actually, that smile kind of looks like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
OMG He does look like Horshack! Freaky!
Oh.my.gosh – he does look like Arnold!!! That’s just too freaky!
Some of your concerns are also mine.
The funny thing to me was that they talk about him (with his old name) as if that person is dead. I guess you have to be Catholic to understand that because I sure as heck don’t get it. *shrugs*