[subego]

Originally Posted by ebuddy 

I think one should be able to talk about the Catholic Church or the Pope as they would the public school system or its heads; without immediate reference to child sexual abuse. That's all.

If you bring up the public school system, I think bringing up the abuse of children therein is 100% fair game.

[mattyb]

I think that once married can become Brothers but not Fathers.

[subego]

Anyone from the last generation have good brother beatings in high school stories?

My dad said he had this brother teaching algebra, who didn't understand it, would teach it wrong, and then beat the living shit out if you for failing the test.

Once he broke a kid's jaw, then he got moved.


Of course, I asked my dad, "what would happen if you told your parents the brothers were beating you?"

He answered "slap you around some more, under the assumption you probably deserved it".

It's a different age, isn't it?

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by subego 

It's a different age, isn't it?

The 'good' old days.

[Chongo]

Originally Posted by subego 

Is it okay if your wife dies, or is it once married, never a priest?

Many men have been ordained after their wife has died. Dr. Felix Leseur is one of the more notable ones.

Elisabeth Leseur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Married men can be ordained Deacons as well. Many Deacons have been ordained Priests after their wife dies



Fr. Felix Leseur, O.P.
(ca. 1940)

[subego]

Thanks!

[The Final Dakar]

Yeah, that sounds right... I think the Deacon we had back in Catholic school was married.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by subego 

Of course, I asked my dad, "what would happen if you told your parents the brothers were beating you?"

He answered "slap you around some more, under the assumption you probably deserved it".

It's a different age, isn't it?

Not necessarily a different age: an ex gf of mine (Mexican) was also in a Catholic boarding school in the 1990s run by nuns. She was also the victim of physical and psychological abuse. Beatings apart, one of the things she hated the most about them as the bigotry: in public, the nuns pretended to be pious, modest, God-fearing women while in school, they would often be mean-spirited and brutal.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by subego 

Anyone from the last generation have good brother beatings in high school stories?

My dad said he had this brother teaching algebra, who didn't understand it, would teach it wrong, and then beat the living shit out if you for failing the test.

Once he broke a kid's jaw, then he got moved.

Of course, I asked my dad, "what would happen if you told your parents the brothers were beating you?"

He answered "slap you around some more, under the assumption you probably deserved it".

It's a different age, isn't it?

I can recall some job interviewer asking if I ever did military service. I replied 5 years in a Catholic boarding school (11 - 16 yrs old). Yeah same thing, he replied. We had bars on the windows to stop us 'escaping' at night.

Never saw a broken bone due to punishment, but plenty of bruises, bloody noses and other minor injuries. I saw a priest hit a girl in the face once. She didn't fall out of her chair but it was close. Mostly it was hard wooden rulers across the hands or knuckles. The cane hurt, a lot. Three of the teachers, 2 priests and 1 brother, went to jail for stuff against children. I was interviewed a few years after leaving by the police asking if I had ever seen anything that could be called abuse : yeah every day I'd get hit, my mates would get hit or canned. The police officer was shocked. I never saw anything like pedophile activity while I was there. They had a list of the kids that accused the priests of abuse. It sounds horrible, but they were what you'd class as potential victims. Not first team rugby players, not the 'jocks' if you know what I mean.

And yes, my Dad replied that I'd probably deserved it. My Mum didn't approve of corporal punishment.

[subego]

As someone who didn't experience corporal punishment, hearing my dad's stories was like corporal punishment for me.

Ironically, AFAIK, my dad never actually received beatings at school. For example, he realized on day one not to listen to the Brother teaching algebra, and just read the book. He'd pass the tests.

A less violent story was how near the end of school year, they'd ask for the kids who hadn't been in detention to raise their hands. Those who did got detention. This was another one my dad was too sharp to fall for.

I should throw in here amongst all the Catholic school bashing, you can get a decent to excellent education from one. I actually considered going to Catholic high school, but my dad (correctly) talked me out of it. That wouldn't have been a good environment for me. In hindsight, I needed one of those hippy-dippy type, "find your own way", unstructured schools. I didn't get that, but what I got was way closer to that than Catholic school would have been.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by subego 

A less violent story was how near the end of school year, they'd ask for the kids who hadn't been in detention to raise their hands. Those who did got detention.

[subego]

Pretty much.

Even as a little kid, I could kinda understand the psycho Brother more than that. Beating the kids was his coping mechanism for massive frustration. The detention thing was "we're adults in authority here... let's go pwn some 14-year-olds".

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by subego 

Pretty much.

Even as a little kid, I could kinda understand the psycho Brother more than that. Beating the kids was his coping mechanism for massive frustration. The detention thing was "we're adults in authority here... let's go pwn some 14-year-olds".

Ah, that probably makes more sense. The best logic I could muster was "Let's let them know what they've been missing so they keep being good."

[subego]

We have Pope.

[The Final Dakar]

Unless we know who, who gives a ****.

[subego]

We can probably narrow it down to some old dude.

This was pretty quick, right? I felt the last one dragged for awhile.

[mattyb]

Pope Frank

[The Final Dakar]

It's a boy.

[Chongo]

Chris Matthews will not be happy.

[Shaddim]

Good choice. While he isn't as reform-minded as others, he's more conscious of the problems that are plaguing Latin America (by far the largest concentration of Catholics in the world). This was a move for consolidation, not so much inclusion, which I believe will be the direction for the next pope.

[subego]

Dammit, I had my money on Urban.

[Laminar]

Keith?

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Keith?

Karl?

[subego]

OldManPope.

[osiris]

I saw the thread title and thought - jesus christ, that was quick. maybe they should start getting younger popes.

For next time, I nominate Father Guido Sarducci (if he ever grows up and becomes a Cardinal)

Find the Pope in the Pizza contest:

“Find the Pope in the Pizza” on Vimeo

[The Final Dakar]

There is something strange about installing guys who are already past average lifespan. Particularly when one of the criticisms of JPII was his not being fit enough for his duties towards the end of his life (and why Ratzinger resigned, I think).

[subego]

Tough call with JPII. The shooting took a lot out of him.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by subego 

Tough call with JPII. The shooting took a lot out of him.

Blood?

[subego]

Presumably. But by all accounts, he never fully recovered from it. Before that he was actually athletic.

[subego]

And in case one is wondering about the theological implications of having to dig around inside your Pope after an assassination attempt, they have a Jew on-call.

I'm not joking.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by subego 

Presumably. But by all accounts, he never fully recovered from it. Before that he was actually athletic.

THat was '81 if I'm reading wiki correctly. I don't think he was seen as being in poor health until the 2000s.

[subego]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

THat was '81 if I'm reading wiki correctly. I don't think he was seen as being in poor health until the 2000s.

I'm saying his later poor health was likely exacerbated by getting shot 20 years earlier.

After he got shot, he was in normal health for an old person. Prior to that he was in superior health for an old person.

Also, didn't Ratzinger smash his head up on the Papal shower tile?

[The Final Dakar]

Gotcha.

I don't know.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

There is something strange about installing guys who are already past average lifespan. Particularly when one of the criticisms of JPII was his not being fit enough for his duties towards the end of his life (and why Ratzinger resigned, I think).

Growing up as a strict catholic, the overall opinion was that the pope had to convey a solemn wizard-like aura - a wise old man. I prefer the pious hats of Latvian Orthodoxy, but maybe that's why I'm not a catholic anymore.

[subego]

Originally Posted by osiris 

Growing up as a strict catholic, the overall opinion was that the pope had to convey a solemn wizard-like aura

It's no coincidence his summer pad is called Gandolfo.

[subego]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Gotcha.

I don't know.

Quick Google says he did, but in Mexico, so only a Cardinal or Bishop shower tile.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by subego 

It's no coincidence his summer pad is called Gandolfo.

[subego]

Now, Ian Mckellen would be an awesome Pope.

[The Final Dakar]

He is gay /shotsfired

[subego]

I know.

[osiris]

there ya go. rimshot... or was that a facial?

[subego]

Betcha he'd be Urban, too.

[osiris]

Just as long as we avoid the Saruman type.

[subego]

Magneto > Saruman

[Doc HM]

Patrick Stewart would make a way better pope than Ian Mckellan.

[subego]

HERESY! For reals, yo.

[ebuddy]

Originally Posted by osiris 

I saw the thread title and thought - jesus christ, that was quick. maybe they should start getting younger popes.