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muckefuckI'm embarrassed to admit to feeling a thrill to be the first in the office to know the name of the new Supreme Pontiff. All during the run-up to this, I've been asking fellow non-Catholics, "Why do you even care?" I mean, yeah, there are 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. But there are also 1.2 billion Indians and 1.3 billion Chinese. How many of the people now sending you habemus Papam messages through social media can name their respective heads of state?
My current hypothesis is that it's all on account of the smoke and ceremony. Maybe if the National People's Congress met in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and released a thousand doves to announce its decision it could get more than just China wonks interested in the results of its elections. Then again, maybe not. Elections are dull; we have elections every four years. Papal elections seemingly have more in common with coronations--or at least they used to, back when appointment was for life. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, changes now that it's apparently just an executive appointment that can be surrendered at any time, like being CEO of Wal-Mart (to name a corporation with twice as many employees as the RCC but fewer locations).
After all, I remember the elections of seven POTUS, but only three Popes. Even Cameron couldn't name who preceded John Paul I. (It was Paul VI, hon.) Some sources are already saying that part of the reason why the conservative faction of the Curia may have given its blessing to Bergoglio is that Ratzinger's retirement opens up the possibility that their man Scola will have another shot in six or seven years. (Bergoglio himself was a candidate in the last round, and largely written off this time as a result.) The white smoke could soon become old hat. Let's hope so at least.
My current hypothesis is that it's all on account of the smoke and ceremony. Maybe if the National People's Congress met in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and released a thousand doves to announce its decision it could get more than just China wonks interested in the results of its elections. Then again, maybe not. Elections are dull; we have elections every four years. Papal elections seemingly have more in common with coronations--or at least they used to, back when appointment was for life. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, changes now that it's apparently just an executive appointment that can be surrendered at any time, like being CEO of Wal-Mart (to name a corporation with twice as many employees as the RCC but fewer locations).
After all, I remember the elections of seven POTUS, but only three Popes. Even Cameron couldn't name who preceded John Paul I. (It was Paul VI, hon.) Some sources are already saying that part of the reason why the conservative faction of the Curia may have given its blessing to Bergoglio is that Ratzinger's retirement opens up the possibility that their man Scola will have another shot in six or seven years. (Bergoglio himself was a candidate in the last round, and largely written off this time as a result.) The white smoke could soon become old hat. Let's hope so at least.
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