Pope resigns

[french frank]

Here in the motorway services, BBC News subtitles proclaim:

"Joseph rap singer was a crepe pope"

Let's not even ask what they were trying to say - you weren't making that up were you, Cal?

[Nick Armstrong]

Let's not even ask what they were trying to say - you weren't making that up were you, Cal?

I swear i just read it!

Nearly choked on my Royale Ascot with cheese!!

[Bryn]

I swear i just read it! ...

Oh I do hope somebody, somewhere, just happened to get a screen grab of it. If so, it should do the rounds pretty quickly.

[jean]

The last one hung on grimly through years of failing health.

But I suppose if you're elected with a reputation as a Rottweiler, you don't feel you can do that.

(Il Manifesto used to refer top him as Iil pastore tedesco - the German shepherd - both senses implied.

[gurnemanz]

I've just heard this announcement on the news: "I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me." For me the brazen use of a split infinitive in the official translation of the pontiff's resignation statement is more momentous than the event itself.

[Alison]

Cardinal Raymond Burke my pick. Good name for a pope.

[Ferretfancy]

Scottycelt for Pope I say ! Good luck Scotty!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Early betting ....

Ladbrokes are just behind Paddy Power with their own list of contenders. Their top three is the same: Peter Turkson, Marc Oullet and Francis Arinze.

5/2 Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson

3/1 Cardinal Marc Ouellet

4/1 Cardinal Francis Arinze

6/1 Cardinal Angelo Scola

10/1 Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga

14/1 Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

14/1 Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco

16/1 Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio

25/1 Cardinal Leonardo Sandri

25/1 Cardinal Claudio Hummes

25/1 Cardinal Wilfred Fox Napier

33/1 Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi

33/1 Archbishop Raymond Burke

33/1 Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera

33/1 Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi

33/1 Cardinal Timothy Dolan

33/1 Cardinal Camillo Ruini

33/1 Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn

33/1 Cardinal Ivan Dias

40/1 Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa

40/1 Cardinal William Levada

66/1 Cardinal George Pell

66/1 Monsignor Pietro Parolin

10m ago

Bookmakers Paddy Power have drawn up a list of contenders to replace Benedict. According to them the favourite is Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana (9/4), with Cardinal Marc Ouellet next at 5/2 and Francis Arinze at 7/2. Here is their full list:

9/4 Cardinal Peter Turkson

5/2 Cardinal Marc Ouellet

7/2 Cardinal Francis Arinze

7/1 Archbishop Angelo Scola

10/1 Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga

12/1 Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

14/1 Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco

16/1 Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio

20/1 Cardinal Leonardo Sandri

25/1 Cardinal Raymond Burke

25/1 Cardinal Cladio Hummes

25/1 Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi

25/1 Cardinal Christoph von Schonborn

33/1 Cardinal Wilfrid Napier

33/1 Cardinal William Levada

33/1 Cardinal Camillo Ruini

33/1 Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera

33/1 Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa

33/1 Cardinal Renato Martino

33/1 Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith

33/1 Archbishop Piero Marini

33/1 Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera

33/1 Cardinal Keith O’Brien

Neither Simon Rattle nor Valery Gergiev in the running, then?

[Bryn]

I a spirit of sharing:

http://www.r3ok.com/index.php/topic,1015.msg136463.html#msg136463

[scottycelt]

Scottycelt for Pope I say ! Good luck Scotty!

Sadly, I appear to be much too young to even consider accepting the ultimate honour, Ferret.

So it's fellow-scottycelt Cardinal Keith O'Brien for me, especially at a tempting 33-1!

[scottycelt]

I agree, Bryn, he has come across some pretty dodgy folk in his time ...


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ap_pope_fidel_castro_dm_120328_wg.jpg&imgrefurl=ht tp://abcnews.go.com/International/pope-benedict-xvi-meets-fidel-castro-cuba/story?id%3D16023224&h=360&w=640&sz=40&tbnid=f8NLFJ MXkvU0NM:&tbnh=62&tbnw=110&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dthe%2Bpope%2Bmeets%2Bfidel%2Bcastro%2 6tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=the+pope+meets+fide l+castro&usg=__PAvK7JRN3P9It0Vh6k4VVkT8OYE=&docid= RCzgqqpCNuk5LM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5D0ZUfCnNM2M0wX3_oCwD A&ved=0CEYQ9QEwAw&dur=631

[ahinton]

Neither Simon Rattle nor Valery Gergiev in the running, then?

Of course not! Don't you think that they each have something better to do?

[vinteuil]

... ah well, it's the end of the world again.

Last year it was the Mayan Calendar; now it's the prophecy of St Malachi that the 112th Pope will be the last. Benedict XVI is the 111th Pope...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes

[ My money's on Scola, for what it's worth ]

[ahinton]

I've just heard this announcement on the news: "I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me." For me the brazen use of a split infinitive in the official translation of the pontiff's resignation statement is more momentous than the event itself.

Fair comment, but at least the Pope had the decency to know when to boldly go.

[ahinton]

... ah well, it's the end of the world again.

Last year it was the Mayan Calendar; now it's the prophecy of St Malachi that the 112th Pope will be the last. Benedict was the 111th Pope...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes

Indeed; Beethoven, that other famous German, knew when certain things ended at 111...