Were the Cardinals just tossing Ratzinger a bone when they made him pope

[LynneSin]

This is not a flamewar to diss the newly minted Pope Benedict XVI. This is just some comments about the Yahoo article and thoughts about why this man was picked in the first place.

http://beta.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=2&u=/ap/20050420/ap_on_re_eu/pope_s_health

Pope Predicted a Short Reign to Cardinals
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer

Pope Benedict XVI himself predicted a "short reign" in comments to cardinals just after his election, and his brother said Wednesday he was worried about the stress the job would put on the 78-year-old pontiff.

While there are no indications that Benedict currently suffers from any serious or chronic medical problems, there have been ailments in the past — including a 1991 hemorrhagic stroke — that raise questions about how long his pontificate will last.

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I mean obviously this guy isn't getting any younger, he's only 6 years younger than Pope John Paul II at his death. But if I'm correct, this guy has been in top Hierarchy of the catholic church for ages and I would assume the greatest thrill of a lifetime for catholic priests would to one day be voted pope.

So seriously, we just ended this amazing 20+ year career of a Pope that appealed to all religions and who traveled all around the world spreading the word of Catholicism and World Peace. And now we have this new pope, who nothing personal, looks pretty frail to me.

Is this a re-org period for the Catholics where they picked an intermittent pope while they get the catholic church ready for a new generation. This guy passes away in a few years and a new pope in the mold of Pope John Paul II (someone younger and more personable) is picked. And was Ratzinger also selected because they wanted to reward him for years of hard service by giving him the honor of being a pope.

[Lone Pawn]

1. The concept of a "transitional Pope."

I believe the idea was to pick someone ideologically similar to the last pope, who can before he dies or retires "finish the work" of JP2 without starting any new projects. He's claimed both his reign will be short and that all he wishes is to return to Bavaria and write books--some pundits are claiming he may retire as early as 80.

[xultar]

2. I was thinking the same thing. HOWEVER, I don't think it will turn

out to be a short papacy. Not to mention when he came out and looked @ the people he looked as though he expected to be Pope nor did he look humbled by the whole deal. how POWERFUL he must feel right now.