Well, it's not much, but it's a step.

Maybe they can hash out an 'acceptable' compromise or something.

Scary? For who?

LOL...free hat...nice one.

Scary??

hmm...dont think if it'll be enough though ;)

btw...what's so scary about it?

Free Hat!

From TFA: The leader of more than a billion Roman Catholics worldwide has expressed regret...

over a billion Roman Catholics? Can that be right?

binnster: Scary? For who?

Jarhead28: Scary??

soccerhooligan81: btw...what's so scary about it?

Maybe submitter meant to hit "spiffy" or something?

Free hat!

Mmm...Papal scones.

The hat doubles as a tea cozy. (twice teh awesome)

Ya know, it's a good start. Good on him, and I hope they take him up on it.

In a similar vein, I have a question to the Muslim farkers. I find myself wanting to go to a muslim BBQ, or the equivilant. It's weird, I know. I have been planning to speak to our local Imam about it (yes, my hick town has an Imam. We were all surprised too.)but I don't want to look too stupid. When is a good time for this? I think there is an end of daytime fast celebration at sundown during Ramadan (coming up sometime soon, I think): is this done as a church group? What is appropriate to bring as a visitor?

I'm not joking. Help a cracker out.

Pope: Would you like some tea or coffee? BTW I said I was sorry for the remarks.

Muslim: Die infidel!

Pope: ...

Free hat?

/no, wait

Pope: Benidicat a vos pater, filius, et spiritus...?

Muzzlim Leadrs: Durka derka jihad, Allah ak-KA-BOOM!!!

fireclown

Do you live in Blacksburg?

Sumdumfarkr: Pope: Benidicat a vos pater, filius, et spiritus...?

Muzzlim Leadrs: Durka derka jihad, Allah ak-KA-BOOM!!!

.......you don't actually know Latin *or* Arabic, do you?

Farkoleptic

A billion is correct. Now how many who call themselves Catholic go to mass regularly and actually accept most of the teachings is anyone's guess.

PeopleFirst: A billion is correct. Now how many who call themselves Catholic go to mass regularly and actually accept most of the teachings is anyone's guess.

Are you counting the CAPE ones, or the ones who go every sunday for your 'go to mass regularly'?

Ah, I see. I never watched SP on a regular basis. Free hat. (pops)

muninsfire: Maybe submitter meant to hit "spiffy" or something?

You are the only voice of reason in an intolerant world.
Maybe you should be the next pope :D

What could possibly go wrong?

fireclown

What is appropriate to bring as a visitor?

Peanut butter-bacon-banana sandwiches

/Elvis' favorites

It'll be like that jabba the hutt throne in star wars.

muninsfire

CAPE?

soccerhooligan81: You are the only voice of reason in an intolerant world.
Maybe you should be the next pope :D

Heh. You couldn't get me to be the pope no matter how much you paid me.

PeopleFirst: CAPE?

Christmas, Advent, Pentecost, Easter: the four times they show up.

All, please accept my apology for the below rant. It is something that I personally can not stand.

It all began while reading the article, and having the word "palace" mentioned numerous times to show where the leaders would meet. I would assume this palace to be the Castel Gandolfo, one of the most magnificent buildings known to man. Nothing makes me more upset with the Catholic Church and its teachings when I see such wealth flaunted at the expense of the worshippers. Granted that they pay pennies for these items now because they are a sovereign country, but these were built from the money and funds gathered by scare tactics which basically forced people to give money or go to "purgatory" or even worse "Hell". Today, the Holy See is still partly run by church donations and at the expense of the followers.
Please church, do not live in extravagance at the cost of humanity. Help humanity, and evolve. Do something good with the money given to you to improve life for millions of people. Selling a palace would ensure and help hundreds of thousands of people. I just don't understand. ugh!

/did you know the Vatican has the highest crime rate of any nation on earth!
//angry off

Free hat*

* with registration form and $9.95 processing fee

PeopleFirst: A billion is correct. Now how many who call themselves Catholic go to mass regularly and actually accept most of the teachings is anyone's guess.

I always wanted to know..does not going to sunday mass make you a non-Catholic? Never understood why anyone is forced to go.

/serious
//ignorant on religious matters

Let's all get together and pretend that our pretend gods are somehow compatible.

NJ_WOP: Today, the Holy See is still partly run by church donations and at the expense of the followers.

And this differs from any other charitable organization.....how, exactly?

Selling a palace would ensure and help hundreds of thousands of people. I just don't understand. ugh!

Who are they going to sell it *to*?

Who's going to keep it maintained and let the public in to see the architecture?

What is he the Muslim pope?

The church's charity is great, except for the skimming. Skimming enough for a palace or 2, jewels in the doorknobs, gold in hats and garments, and a life of luxury for a few.

soccerhooligan81: I always wanted to know..does not going to sunday mass make you a non-Catholic? Never understood why anyone is forced to go.

Technically, if you've partaken of any of the sacraments of the Catholic church, you're a Catholic.

Though you kinda are supposed to do the every Sunday thing.

NJ_WOP: but these were built from the money and funds gathered by scare tactics which basically forced people to give money or go to "purgatory" or even worse "Hell".

As for your other point, you won't find any disagreement here: it was a despicable practice. Also, one that's not carried out anymore.

I'd like to know where you got those crime numbers, though. That smells like 'urban legend' to me.

muninsfire: Heh. You couldn't get me to be the pope no matter how much you paid me.

Not even if I paid you with beer?

Bf+: What is he the Muslim pope?

Gadafi wanted him to be.

soccerhooligan81: Not even if I paid you with beer?

Not even with beer. Besides, if I were Pope, I'd have all the wine I could dri...

.....waaaaiiit a moment.....

While we're pretending, don't forget to mention how much god loves us. The god that gave us malaria, polio, etc.

"Jesus loves me, this I know,
For he game me polio."

PeopleFirst: It based upon their Christening logs. If you were Christened (Catholic version of Baptism), you are a Catholic for life by their records.

NJ_WOP

"Selling a palace would ensure and help hundreds of thousands of people. I just don't understand. ugh!"

Yeah, we get it you don't understand. The Vatican is the custodian of invaluable works of art, literature and architecture, much of which is open to the public, and that one hopes will be there a 1000 years from now.

Plus, your suggestion is so incredibly myopic and short sighted, it beggars the imagination. Sell your history and sell your facilities, move to new ones! Ignore the fact that Catholic Charities is one of the largest private charitable organizations in the World. Cut off your nose to spite your face.

fireclown
Although I am a catholic myself I have been invited to these feasts (people really ate lots) myself a couple of times. If I remember correctly everyone ate dates at the beginning. Ramadan is supposed to emphasize the community spirit so mostly different families and friends gather together. I asked the very same question (what shall I bring?) to my friend's grandmother and she told me that they actually bought their food at a jewish grocery (!) because if things are kosher than they are ok for muslims to eat too. I wish people were so friendly and easygoing everywhere.

It's funny how no one commented on the "trapdoor is working" part of the headline. A reference to Team America, with Kim Jong Il and Hans Blixxxxxxxx perhaps?

/I thought it was funny
//You can take all the X's out of his name you want, he's still not human - BUT WHAT IF YOU ADD MORE IN?!

Queen topsail: if things are kosher than they are ok for muslims to eat too.

I think Mohammed copied the Kosher bits from the Jewish folk that he admired.

Smart idea, especially in that area.

You bring up several great points.
In regards to your first question/answer of which you are correct, and this is of my opinion: with charitable contributions a percentage is of course given to have that organization run. Looking back at my blurb, I did not elaborate on this enough, I apologize. I feel that people give to them just because "we are the church and we need donations from you to keep running."
Now, with this last statement, it will help me answer your next question of "well who are they going to sell it to?" Well in my opinion again, I think that they can donate it. Maybe to Italy, not really for me to decide. Now, that will not immediately give them funds because it is a donation, but they will certainly save money in the amount of time, upkeep and maintenance that these building require. Take this saved amount and invest it in humanity.
The comment with the highest crime rate is noted in wiki: As a result of the Vatican having a small resident population, but millions of visitors every year, the state has the highest per capita crime rate of any nation on earth"

I don't understand the Scary Tag, OP. I think that Muslims basicaly confirmed what the Pope said, and he doesn't need further apoligies

Nothing makes me more upset with the Catholic Church and its teachings when I see such wealth flaunted at the expense of the worshippers.

Of course you don't understand--you have not tried to. You simply hate the Catholic Church.

For one, it's not "flaunted at our expense." If we have a chuch with pretty things in it, it's because we (the parishioners) gave the church money for them. I do not know anyone who has been "scared" into donating. It's like some of the most dirt-poor parishes in Mexico were targeted by the communists because they would have these incredibly beautiful paintings of biblical scenes, when in fact the parishioners all chipped in to get them so everyone could enjoy and learn from them.

Here's a great example if you want to see the Church "helping" people get ahead. Go and study the Jesuit Reductions in South America (or just rent The Mission). These places were a paradise where those mean old Catholics had persuaded the Spanish throne to put vast areas of land under the control of the Society of Jesus in return for tributes. These were like religious colonies run by the Jesuits where the native language was spoken, there was free education (100% literacy), free medical care, and easy working conditions. The guarani were able to pay for all this because they were skilled artisans and artists--you know, when you do something like make violins for the glory of God, it's gonna be a nice freakin' violin.

Of course, it was all brought down by--tum tum tum--secular powers. Slavers. People like you.

What you don't understand, Mr. Progressive, is that you only comprehend progress in the most corrosive "revolutionary" terms. The things you advocate impede the "progress" of the human animal more than any religion. You give liberalism a horrible, horrible name; for my part, I'm happy to follow in the footsteps of such as the Christian Socialists like GK Chesterton.

Maybe after you have studied up on this stuff you'll have a bit more to bring to the table, you know?

NJ_WOP
Now, with this last statement, it will help me answer your next question of "well who are they going to sell it to?" Well in my opinion again, I think that they can donate it. Maybe to Italy, not really for me to decide. Now, that will not immediately give them funds because it is a donation, but they will certainly save money in the amount of time, upkeep and maintenance that these building require. Take this saved amount and invest it in humanity.

Alright, so the cost of maintaining the artwork and historic sites is shifted from the Roman Catholic Church to the government of Italy (or whoever). That doesn't make humanity as a whole richer; it just shuffles numbers around.

NJ_WOP

"Well in my opinion again, I think that they can donate it."

Donate it?

"but they will certainly save money in the amount of time, upkeep and maintenance that these building require."

And where will the people who were using those facilities go?