NationStates Jolt Archive

I promise that this isn't just another attempt at me to get you people to realize you suck and you ask too many questions that are in no way significant to what people care about. This is an honest question that I want a few well-thought out answers to. Why is the pope old?

The pope was one of the youngest popes in the history of Catholicism when he was elected. He may have been one of the 5 youngest, I know for sure he is the third longest serving pope. Why is he old? We all become old eventually, the pope as God's ambassador on earth is mortal like all humans and naturally will get old and die. I dont quite see the point of this question.

He's old because that's the way people get when they've been around that long.

If you were asking why office is held by an old person, it's because the post is for life. There will be a new pope when the current one is dead, and perhaps he will be younger.

Well he was born 80 some years ago and popes usually aren't selected at younger ages.

It's cause he's Polish!

You can never forget somebody from Poland, even our President thinks that!

Why is the Pope old?

Because he was born a long time ago, of course!

Because the pope has to be elected from the College of Cardinals. Who are all senior bishops, who are senior priests, who have been in the seminary for more than a couple years.

Thus the pope is old becase he was elected when he was no longer young. And he has been pope for many years.

I'm glad two of you appreciate the humor.

Because human beings go through a normal bodily function known as aging.

v. aged, ag·ing, ag·es
v. tr.
To cause to become old.

Believe it or not, your aging right now!

The pope is a robot. His circuits are breaking down, causing decreased memory function and motor skills, which is why he has been said to have "Alzeheimers"[sic] and has the posture of a jumbo shrimp.

But is he really old? If you compare him to Methusela, who lived over 900 years, then he's not.

I guess it depends on your definition of 'old'.

Hey, while we're mentioning fairy tales, let's talk about sleeping beauty who didn't age.

Well this gets my vote for most retarded post ever.

Well we are talking about the Pope. I'm sure the Pope has heard of him before. :p

the pope is old because he hasnt died yet

Well this gets my vote for most retarded post ever.

It's okay. Someday you'll post something so much more incoherent and off-subject that you'll beat your own record.

It is typically a tradition to elect a person with lots of experience to positions of leadership, and that tends to be older folks. Even if they do tend to not have as much life left in 'em.

i think the real question should be "when is he going to kick the bucket?" $5 says sometime during 2004!

The Pope is old because he is actually a Reptillian from the center of the earth.

Reptillians age much more slowly than humans. This is because of the poikilothermic circulatory system which causes a very slow metabolism. The pope can go for months without eating, but when he does eat he has been known to eat an entire water buffalo. Reptillians such as the Pope don't chew their food; they unhinge their powerful jaws and swallow their prey whole.

In Reptillian terms, the Pope is actually only middle-aged; he simply hasn't shed his skin in awhile. He needs to do that in order to grow, but for some reason he's been putting it off. Oh well, we can only trust in the wisdom of the Pope.

Because the pope has to be elected from the College of Cardinals. Who are all senior bishops, who are senior priests, who have been in the seminary for more than a couple years.

Thus the pope is old becase he was elected when he was no longer young. And he has been pope for many years.


Actually the Pope gets elected BY the College of Cardinals not from. The pope could theoretically be a parish priest prior to being voted in as Pope.

Here is an excerpt from the following website:
http://atheism.about.com/od/papalelections/a/whobecomes.htm

Who Can Be Elected Pope?
Technically, any Catholic male who has reached the age of reason, is not a heretic, is not in schism, and is not “notorious” for simony can be elected pope — there is no other requirement for election (although there are several requirements before a person can actually assume the papacy once elected). It might even be technically possible for them to elect a non-Catholic male, if they had reason to believe that he would immediately convert to Catholicism.

The lack of a long list of formal requirements is probably due to the fact that, in times past, it was possible for the elector cardinals to elect a new pope not through formal ballots but rather through sudden acclamation after being inspired. A list of formal rules would make such acclamation much more difficult, even though the rules have now eliminated acclamation (as well as the use of committees) to elect new popes.

In practice, of course, Catholic laity and even common clergy have no real chance to be elected pope and the papacy is restricted to cardinals or perhaps a few bishops.

The last non-cardinal elected pope was Urban VI in 1379. Certain cardinals may be more likely to be elected than others (because of age, for example), but within that group there is no way to say who is the favorite.
Indeed, it may be more likely that a non-favorite could be elected. Every “favorite” may be favored by a different group but no group may be able to get the others to accept their candidate. As a consequence, the man finally elected may be no one’s favorite, but ultimately the only man that enough of the cardinals can actually agree upon.

In another informal nod to tradition, the next pope will certainly have to speak Italian. Most people regard the pope as simply the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and that he is; but we must not forget that he is also the Bishop of Rome, and as such he carries with him the same responsibilities of all bishops. Indeed, no one can become pope officially until they are also officially made bishop in Rome.

One of the sources of the the great popularity of Pope John XXIII was apparently the fact that he acted like the Bishop of Rome more than most popes. He visited prisons, visited hospitals, and took a genuine interest in the lives and fortunes of the average Roman citizen. This was as unusual as it was appropriate and it helped guarantee his place in the hearts and minds of Romans for generations to come.

If the next pope cannot address the crowds in Rome in their own language, he won’t be readily accepted or highly regarded. This may not be the “mob” of antiquity, but it seems unlikely that the elector cardinals will completely ignore their needs when it comes to choosing the next pope. The exclusion of non-Italian speakers may not narrow the field of likely popes very far, but it does narrow it.

Actually the Pope gets elected BY the College of Cardinals not from. The pope could theoretically be a parish priest prior to being voted in as Pope.

As an example, I believe John Paul II (The current pope) was the Archbishop of Krakow (Poland) when he was elected and not a Cardinal.

Historically the popes have been selected from among the Cardinals, though. It takes a long time and a lot of cunning and intelligence to make your way up through the ranks from novice to Cardinal, let alone from Cardinal to pope.

Dude, I would make a kickass pope. :D

I promise that this isn't just another attempt at me to get you people to realize you suck and you ask too many questions that are in no way significant to what people care about. This is an honest question that I want a few well-thought out answers to. Why is the pope old?

Why do I have to take a shit every morning? It's just the way it is.

I promise that this isn't just another attempt at me to get you people to realize you suck and you ask too many questions that are in no way significant to what people care about. This is an honest question that I want a few well-thought out answers to. Why is the pope old?

Err, because God said so?

the pope is old because he hasnt died yet
Not so, wouldn't he then be "the old Pope" ?

Who Can Be Elected Pope?
~snip~It might even be technically possible for them to elect a non-Catholic male, if they had reason to believe that he would immediately convert to Catholicism. ~snip~
[/I]

Great... non-Catholic? Sure... but female? Not a chance. Love that. It's too bad, too, I think I'm make a wonderful pope ;).

Why is the pope still alive?

No, wait, that is Pope's in a Volkswagon.

Being the Pope has to be earned and so it takes 50+ years to be recognised for the role. You must do a great deal to be elected Pope and it takes that long to do it.

Actually, I'm the Pope and I'm not old. I'm only 22.

The Pope is old because he is actually a Reptillian from the center of the earth.

Reptillians age much more slowly than humans. This is because of the poikilothermic circulatory system which causes a very slow metabolism. The pope can go for months without eating, but when he does eat he has been known to eat an entire water buffalo. Reptillians such as the Pope don't chew their food; they unhinge their powerful jaws and swallow their prey whole.

In Reptillian terms, the Pope is actually only middle-aged; he simply hasn't shed his skin in awhile. He needs to do that in order to grow, but for some reason he's been putting it off. Oh well, we can only trust in the wisdom of the Pope.

Figures, considering our ancestor were reptiles!

Figures, considering our ancestor were reptiles!


I don't care what Louis Farrakhan says, we didn't evolve from Reptillians.