Ratz!

Say it isn't so!

Ratzinger Ahead in Pre-Conclave
Pope Politicking

By Tom Heneghan

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Conservative Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has gained strong support among Roman Catholic cardinals seeking a successor to Pope John Paul but many of them are still undecided, a Church official said Wednesday.



German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger attends a Mass at the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica, April 12, 2005. Conservative Ratzinger has gained strong support among Roman Catholic cardinals seeking a successor to Pope John Paul but many of them are still undecided, a Church official said Wednesday. (Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)

The German theologian, who was the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog for 23 years, is the frontrunner for now while moderates were considering a symbolic candidacy for Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the former archbishop of Milan, the official said.

But this was only the line-up for the first round of voting, often a formality gauging strengths of different camps, rather than a sign of who might end up as pope. Voting conclaves can last several days and often produce surprise results.

"Ratzinger is looking strong but it's still far from clear who will emerge and how the voting will go," said the official who requested anonymity.

The conclave begins next Monday and a two-thirds majority -- 77 out of 115 votes -- is needed to win.

Italian newspapers reported that between 40 and 50 cardinals had signaled support for Ratzinger in private pre-conclave meetings this week.

A conservative campaign to rapidly declare John Paul a saint also appeared to work in Ratzinger's favor because of his close ties to the former Pontiff. --snip--

In a move sure to be seen as part of a campaign, Ratzinger Wednesday published a new book entitled "Values in Times of Upheaval" in which he argues Europe must accept anew its Christian heritage if it wants to avoid spiritual emptiness. --snip--

Ratzinger has clamped down hard on theologians who strayed from his strict doctrinal line and alienated other Christian denominations by saying they were not real churches. --snip--

So much for Martini & Rossi and the Honduran guy...

In his address to one meeting of cardinals this past week, Martini urged the prelates to reform the Church, an argument seconded by Honduran Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, Corriere della Sera said. LINK

Papabilities...


Why Ratzinger, you ask?

1. If Ratzinger already has almost 50 votes, I view this as an obvious sign of the Holy Roman Church closing ranks and circling the wagons.

2. He's old, which means that future papabili won't have to wait too long for possible career advancement.

3. He'll rush through John Paul's sainthood process faster than Danny Kaye's Knighthood tests in The Court Jester.

4. He'll defend his own (Yes, the pedophile priests) at all costs, and he'll further enable and encourage those Opus Dei guys (Yes, I'm talking about you, Bob Novak!).

5. When I claim that Ratzinger knows where all of the bodies are buried, I really mean it... literally. Ratzinger, as John Paul's closest confidant, knows absolutely everything about everyone who might challenge him or the church, itself.

I sincerely hope that this early report is just crap being spewed out of some Vatican flunky's ass for the hell of it (and some of that infamous Italian Press obbligazione).

If not, watch out!

Ratzinger is both Karl Rove and Alan Greenspan, wrapped up in a single silk brocade & crucifix package...

A media-savvy, purse strings grasping, the end-justifies-the-means, and the multitudes be damned kind of guy...


The stuff of Jesus' nightmares.