The Pope is dead - long live the Pope!

We’ll have another silk and brocade-clad, gold laden oppressor surrounded by incense fumes and scarlet-cloaked sycophants in what - two or three weeks?

You may sense that I’m not a fan of J. Paul - Deuce. You would be correct. I was raised a Catholic, and had some hope for J. Paul’s predecessor, what’s-his-name. I have a difficult time respecting an institution that oppresses women, oppresses the poor, and winks at the millions of Americans who practice artificial birth control; despite their Church’s official position that tells them that they are going to go to hell for doing so.

This clown promoted the Boston guy who covered up the pedophiles; ensured that another generation of women couldn’t be ordained; made sure that priests couldn’t marry; and one of his greatest sins, in my opinion, promulgated the opinion that condoms should not even be used to stop the spread of AIDS. Hell, one of the church’s idiot cardinals said they weren’t effective at stopping the HIV virus - a scientific opinion about as valid as Dr. Frist’s diagnosis of Mrs. Schaivo’s brain death via videotape. Oh well.

J. Paul did a good job of reaching out to other religions and building bridges to them. It’s too bad he couldn’t build a bridge or two toward thinking, progressive Catholics. Very few Europeans even bother going to church any more. The fallen away Roman Catholics are America’s seventh largest Christian sect. [OK, I made that up.]

Oh well, he’s crammed the College of Cardinals with conservative clones, actually appointing 114 of the 117 electors, so we’ll see more of the same.

Before I go, one last thought: I really wonder if Christ will welcome him as is advertised. A lot of these men are scheming, greedy men, dedicated to the greater glory of themselves first, the Roman Catholic Church next, and then perhaps to the poor. Or, do they believe that the means they use justify the ends? Perhaps they truly believe their own bullshit, does that give them a pass into heaven, presuming there is one? Christ said something about rich men, a camel, and the eye of a needle. Hell, I don’t know. Nonetheless, I think there are millions of Catholics who are wonderful, decent, charitable humans. I’m not so sure about some of the self important “Princes of the Church.”

God, I am a cranky, mean-spirited son of a bitch.