What if the new Pope supports the Republican Party?

[wallock]

Whether you like him or hate him, Pope John Paul II never aligned himself with any government or party. He always voted his conscience (which was terribly flawed) and often voiced concern over US policies.

Now imagine we get a US Pope or even one from a strong ally of the US who has views that are completely in line with the Republican Party... would that be a nightmare!

But what's the worst that can happen.... right?

[K-W]

1. Nothing much.

US catholics are fairly independant of Rome. And the Vatican is already fairly conservative.

[Zynx]

2. Won't happen.

The Vatican has always been careful about that. If it looked like they were propping up a candidate, the Protestant majority in this country would flip out.

[wallock]

5. Would that be good?

I wonder if it would be a good thing to have the religious right fighting eachother...

[patricia92243]

3. Fundamental Christians hate the Pope, and they are now the largest part of

the Republican Party.

[Robbien]

4. It is his support for the Christian Coalition that we need to worry about

not Republicans.

If the new Pope supports the Crazy Coalition then we have problems.

[LiberalinNC]

6. Of the cardinals Pope John Paul II ordained, (I believe 110)

chances are the next Pope will of the "same cloth" as JP II.

[jmowreader]

7. IIRC a Pope can't come from a superpower nation

During the pope-less interval between Pope John Paul and Pope John Paul II, the possibility of a US pope was discussed. Apparently he can't come from a nation that is a superpower, which at the time would have meant no Soviet popes and no American popes. Now it just means no American popes.

I don't think we'd get a pope who supported the GOP. That entity is full of people who believe fervently that all Catholics are going to hell. Why would you support someone who thinks you're hell-bound?

As far as his policies go...some of what Catholics believe, specifically their abortion and birth control stands, meshes quite nicely with GOP doctrine. Most of it does not. (How many nuns are registered nurses?) And remember, according to fundamentalist-Protestant doctrine all Catholics are going to hell.

I'm not worried.

[CoonDawg]

8. Anything is possible...

remember, there was a pope that signed a vatican concordat with Adolf Hitler back in the 1930's. Just because they are pope doesn't mean they won't do stupid things.

Ern

[LTR]

10. Correct

And I certainly hope the next pope is not American. From the sound of it, it won't happen.

[LiberalinNC]

12. Not enough American Cardinals to vote one in.

I would bet that the next pope will be of Spanish heritage, because the majority of "voting" cardinals are Spanish.

[LTR]

9. Not happening

They don't want to alienate anyone.

And it doesn't sound like the Cardinals want a hardcore RWer as pope.

The next guy will likely carry on JPII's legacy of peace and social justice. Sounds like they want a more transitional pope (meaning older), as opposed to a younger one that will hold office for another quarter century.

[Zorra]

11. The Catholic Church will lose 25 to 50% of it's membership. n/t