Pope resigns

[Mr Pee]

How they REALLY pick the Pope......

[Flosshilde]

It's a complete classic, can't wait for scotty's reaction

It wasn't worth waiting for, was it ?

[Nick Armstrong]

Men's sauna in corpore sano?

Have you just thought of that or have you been working on it for some months?

Because that story's been out there that long - I read about it in France ages ago. So much for the Indie as a Newspaper...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Have you just thought of that or have you been working on it for some months?

Sadly, puns just leap involuntarily into my head: I really should try harder!

[Nick Armstrong]

Sadly, puns just leap involuntarily into my head: I really should try harder!

It's a great talent. Keep 'em coming!

[scottycelt]

Men's sauna in corpore sano?

[scottycelt]

It wasn't worth waiting for, was it ?

Precisely, Flossie!

That was the whole idea, really ...

[Mr Pee]

It's a complete classic, can't wait for scotty's reaction

That story seems more suited to a down-market tabloid than the supposedly serious Independent.

[ahinton]

How flattering, amsey ... there's really no need to hang around waiting.

Mr GG's latest 'fairy' tale is a sniggering nudge-nudge, wink-wink affair that one might expect from a sixth-form school mag and therefore hardly surprising it features in a dumbed-down broadsheet-turned-tabloid like The Independent.

Meanwhile, back to the awesome reality of a huge historical and pivotal world event playing out before our very eyes. Some of the scenes from St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel were truly stunning

We've seen the smoke signals, but where are the mirrors?...

[Mr Pee]

Is it really necessary to expel a load of chemically darkened smoke into the sky just to tell us that a decision has not been made?

Seems rather pointless and not very environmentally friendly. Why not just release smoke when the new Pope has won the game? Or even get with the times and send out an email.

[ahinton]

"Smoking kills", we are often told.

Perhaps Mr Turnage should consider changing the title of one of his works to Three Smoking Popes...

[MrGongGong]

Is it really necessary to expel a load of chemically darkened smoke into the sky just to tell us that a decision has not been made?

Seems rather pointless and not very environmentally friendly. Why not just release smoke when the new Pope has won the game? Or even get with the times and send out an email.

Absolutely..... maybe it should all go on twitter with suitable suggestions for music ?

Let's get rid of the Red Arrows while we are at it

[Flosshilde]

Is it really necessary to expel a load of chemically darkened smoke into the sky just to tell us that a decision has not been made?

Seems rather pointless and not very environmentally friendly. Why not just release smoke when the new Pope has won the game? Or even get with the times and send out an email.

They could always just fly a white flag.

[Richard Tarleton]

Where is this "temporary copper chimney" in the roof of the Sistine Chapel in relation to Michelangelo's frescoes? And, come to that, where is the stove? Does anybody know?

[scottycelt]

Is it really necessary to expel a load of chemically darkened smoke into the sky just to tell us that a decision has not been made?

Seems rather pointless and not very environmentally friendly. Why not just release smoke when the new Pope has won the game? Or even get with the times and send out an email.

Not necessary but a centuries-old tradition.

A Pope's election wouldn't be nearly as fascinatingly mysterious without those marvellous smoke signals in front of huge crowds. Incomparable real-life theatre.