Hi, I'm sure many of you heard that the Pope resigns at the end of this month. Some believers say it's the beginning of the end (of the Christian Church). Some people say that the Church will take a new direction away from the more traditional ways. What do you think?
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I don't Know what this means for Church, I can only say that I've never understood the Pope fuction or utility
First off, to be honest, I could never quite warm to this current Pope (well, soon-to-be-former Pope). Not sure why. I won't be sad to see him go. I much preferred the one before him.
Back to your question: I don't understand why some believers think this move spells the beginning of the end. I think they're scared, which is natural, but that's where I think their concerns may stem from. The guy's 85. It's not so far-fetched that he'd want to retire from office. Wouldn't they want to?
Also, nothing wrong with change. Nothing stays the same even when we might want it to. The Church isn't beyond changing, and to be honest, it could do with it (in my opinion).
I wonder what health problems the Pope had.. Possibly Alzheimer's?
Probably nothing. He's just being removed.
Probably heart diseases, I've heard. But whatever is the problem, I think he should have continued performing his role, like Giovanni Paolo II. With all his problem he has done his work till the end...
I find it hypocritical that person like the pope lives in a castle when Christianity practically preach against being rich and teaches that you should be humble. I'm an atheist but this is the one of the few things they teach i agree with. Does anyone else agree?
I think the church is definitely on the way down. But this will be very gradual and it will probably take another century to see some significant power taken from them. But i do see generations a few hundred yeard from now laughing and how dumb humans acted back in this day believing in so much BS.
I very much doubt that.
I am at a loss as to why the pope resigning would lead to the beginning of the end of the church. Although it is not common for a pope to resign it has managed to keep going for 600 years since the last resignation, so I believe this one will make no difference. In fact if anything it allows the church more time to choose a successor as new pope.
This should allow the church to make a better more informed choice for a replacement, and so should be stronger not weaker as a result.
Some people say he is resigning because there is a very tough faction inside the Vatican that he cannot control. They advocate a more liberal view, and want to change a lot of things such as the process of mass, the Church's view on gays etc.
I agree with fallout 13, I 've ever hated Church pomp.... I think that Franciscan friar are more coherent in this, because they really live in poverty and refuse opulence...
And , in addiction to that ,I've never liked very much this Pope...
Been a Christian doesn't mean you can't live the life of comfort @fallout13. Actually it is the life Christ wants for us all.
To topic: Since the post of the pope has been made political, then its great he is playing safe by resigning. Do you remember before his election, there were instance where the nation wanted not a Pope anymore but Political Leader by Election? Maybe there back to that now.
The Pope has already delivered his last public address. It's like it has only been yesterday that he became a Pope. Time flies really fast. Anyway, like Onwem, I like Pope John Paul II more. He had a more approachable aura.
That would be the end of the Catholic Church, not the Christian church. As they've shown through history, the two are wildly different :)