Is Ratzinger the Yuri Andropov of the Catholic Church?

[BillZBubb]

Remember when Brezhnev died, the Soviets pulled an old, hard line, fossil out of the hat to replace him--Yuri Andropov. Fortunately, he didn't last long and was the last of a dying breed.

Any chance Ratzinger fits that pattern? Or does the Catholic church have a stash of ultra-rightists lined up well into the future?

[yvr girl]

1. Believe it or not Yuri brings back fond high school memories lol

Ratzinger is 78 years old. Chances are, he won't be around for that long.

[regnaD kciN]

5. Yes, but...

...any "infallible" proclamations he makes cannot be undone by any future pontiff or ecumenical council. They'll be set in stone, unmodifiable even a thousand years from now -- and I thoroughly expect such proclamations ratifying Humanae Vitae's total ban on artificial contraception, as well as one declaring that women cannot ever be ordained. Possibly on other topics as well.

So, in short, even if he isn't around for long, his papacy could likely be around forever.

:scared:

[gumby]

2. Not a Catholic, but

brought up the same scenario in different words today.

You might be on to something......

edit: yes, does seem that the Catholic church has a stash of ultra-rightists lined up well into the future.

[fedsron2us]

3. Could equally be Chernenko

The last real old style leader of the Soviet Union who succeeded Andropov. History seeems to have forgotten him

http://www.soviet-empire.com/ussr/ussr_leaders/chernenko.php

Maybe Ratzinger will be fortunate. He seems a similar sort of apparatik who has worked his way to the top of a totalitarian bureaucracy.

[ReadTomPaine]

4. If we are lucky, then yes you are right.

If he's as transitory as some say, then Chernenko is a perfect analogy. I'm not so sure he's going to be passive, however.