New Pope and all that...

[Master Jmd 80]

I don't think he did.  His last work was Unterwegs zu Jesus Christus back in 2003.  Do you have a source?  I could be wrong.

That is from what I heard about ten or fifteen minutes ago on the BBC news...I doubt that they would get it wrong...

hmm...maybe BBC has got it wrong then...Wikipedia also says that his last Work was Unterwegs zu Jesus Christus, Augsburg 2003. ...

[Sylvester 15]

I don't think he'll be with us long, he's 78. Kind of an interim Pope I think.

That's probably just top side of the average age for a Pope.

John Paul II was one of the youngest ones he was about 58 when elected.

They usually in their late 60s/early 70s.

John Paul I didn't last long, about 33 days.

[Sylvester 15]

Oh an one other thing, Ratzinger was also in the Hitler youth back in his youthful years.

Personally i think they've pick a wrong 'un here.

He's hardline, anti-discussion, anti-everything, and wanted to turn a blind eye to paedophile priests. Or so they've just been discussing on ITV news.

My parents once watched a programme saying that the successor to JPII would be the very last Pope, sounds already like alot of liberal Catholics are not too pleased about this. Could be fairly disasterous.

[Chris Perkins 228]

No doubt he's probably more right wing than even Oli, but just because he was in the Hitler Youth doesn't mean he was a Nazi. I'm sure that at the time of the Hitler youth, lots of kids just ended up there for something to do, or were made to go by their parents. A bit like Cub-Scouts now, although they don't yet have a badge for facism!

If he's 78 he could have just about been able to fight in WWII too.

[Emperor Oli 0]

No doubt he's probably more right wing than even Oli, but just because he was in the Hitler Youth doesn't mean he was a Nazi. I'm sure that at the time of the Hitler youth, lots of kids just ended up there for something to do, or were made to go by their parents. A bit like Cub-Scouts now, although they don't yet have a badge for facism!

If he's 78 he could have just about been able to fight in WWII too.

My granddad said the other day my political persuasion was somewhere "right of Genghis Khan"; I've mellowed recently

Like Chris, I have doubts whether he joined by his own accord. Children had to be part of the Hitler Youth or the League of German Maidens (for girls, evidently), basically so the Nazis could control them for longer and keep them away from their parents who may have been anti-Nazi.

Sylvester makes an interesting statement - "the last Pope". I was really hoping for a more liberal Pope; a Pope who would sanction contraception to fight STDs; a Pope who would encourage the ordination of women priests; a Pope who would maybe lax their views on abortion. But, we're stuck with another JPII who, in my opinion, was a waste of space.

[Master Jmd 80]

Oh an one other thing, Ratzinger was also in the Hitler youth back in his youthful years.

You do have to think though that he was a deserter in the war...but nethertheless, I do agree with the two last parts of Oli's post...

[Peter 615]

You boys watch yourselves...especially over at Coinpeople.

Lets hope the popular press let go with all this Popeidom rubbish and get on with the more important things.

St Georges Day....climax of footie season and prime totty in bikini's (topless )making their 1st show on our beaches.

[Sylvester 15]

Any one familiar with the prophecies of St. Malachy?

From the sounds of it all of them have been pretty accurate thus far...

Well today has seemingly just fulfilled one.

This pope is going to last 4 or 5 years.

[mint_mark 9]

If he's 78 he could have just about been able to fight in WWII too.

I read that he was conscripted into an anti aircraft unit in Munich... which is of course a significant location for the time.

[mint_mark 9]

prime totty in bikini's (topless )making their 1st show on our beaches.

This is some reference to the forthcoming election of a new prime minister?

[Peter 615]

Any one familiar with the prophecies of St. Malachy?

St Malachy...I don't think I've got Roman blood..although I quite like their coins...but I do live within 250yds of the site of an old Roman Fort

[Peter 615]

Follow me chaps to the land of copper and gold where Replica's and Verdigris are banned