BS: New pope has my blessing

Subject: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: GUEST,Divis Sweeney
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 09:17 AM

The new pope Joseph Ratzinger has lifted the non smoking ban in the Vatican. So glad to hear he's a 20 a day himself, Marlborough lights. It's great to see someone not afraid of the new world mouthpieces who tell everyone its my way or no way. Time for me to go back to church. Fair play to you Joseph.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Paul Burke
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 09:21 AM

That's it, to hell with PC. Back to buggering altar boys next.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Bill D
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 10:16 AM

pretty recent ban- you sure? Source?


"• Holy smoke! Vatican bans puffing on the job
Source: Reuters, 2002-06-27
Author: Stephen Poloz, Reuters News Agency

Intro:

Vatican City — "Excuse me, your Eminence, but if you don't put out that cigarette, I will have to slap you with a Papal fine."

That might be the warning a lowly Vatican policeman may have to recite to a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church next week when smoking will be effectively banned indoors in the Vatican.

A law approved by Pope John Paul and made public on Thursday will ban smoking in nearly all closed spaces inside the 43-hectare city-state

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: GUEST,H
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 10:29 AM

Now we know the real source of the stuff coming out of that Vactican chimney.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: SINSULL
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 10:34 AM

Oh Lord! If the infallible Pope smokes, must we all?

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Bill D
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 12:04 PM

only if he is puffing ex cathedra on a matter of faith or morals.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 12:08 PM

One more reason to dismiss the church....

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 12:22 PM

That explains the guy walking behind him swinging the smoking handbag [purse].
G.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 12:24 PM

I thought that was to cover the pong of little boy coming off him....

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 12:55 PM

John Paul I, the guy who served for a month in 1978, was also a cigarette smoker. As far as I know, John Paul II, the Polish guy in between, didn't smoke.

When I was in the seminary in the 1960's, we could get cigarettes at discount at the seminary bookstore - but not as cheap as they were when I was in the U.S. Army in the 1970's (13 cents a pack).

Personally, I think it might be good to have a pope with a few bad habits. It might tend to bring out the humanity in him.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 01:01 PM

A remark like that could be censored. ;~)
G..

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: CarolC
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 01:47 PM

I thought the Catholic Church was "pro-life". How can you be "pro-life" while slowly killing the guy who works in the next cubicle over from yours at the Vatican?

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 01:52 PM

You expect them to be consistent in anything other than hypocrisy?

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: MMario
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 01:52 PM

they didn't say there weren't regulations - just that the total ban had been lifted.

And considering that the Pope is essentially the ruler of an independent nation - he does get to set a few rules.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Peace
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 01:55 PM

Much ado . . . .

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 02:15 PM

Funny views about vices/sins/weaknesses/habits. The Amish do not condone drink - but in Kansas the Amish (used to) make their own grape wine for their own use. On the West Coast that was severely disapproved- but smoking was allowed.

In Virginia and Kentucky the Amish disapproved of smoking but tobacco was a big cash crop.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 05:24 PM

Pius XII had a bad habit. During his decades as a priest he got into the habit of wiping his pen on the inside of his elbow (crook of the arm) and when he became Pope he got the white robes to go with the new position. Guess what? Blue ink shows dude. His bad habit resulted in bad habits. OK, technically they were bad cassocks ...

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Beer
Date: 05 Oct 05 - 08:51 AM

There was a time that if you purposely harmed your body the church considered it a mortal sin. I doubt that this is still the case but then again??

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Paul Burke
Date: 05 Oct 05 - 09:17 AM

Was that before or after they wore hair shirts, starved themselves, didn't wash for years so that the lice crawled all over their bodies, flagellated themselves and each other, immured themselves in unheated cells in the depths of winter and so on ad incomprehensium?

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 05 Oct 05 - 11:20 AM

How sure are you of these facts? I have my doubts that a heavy smoker would live to be 80, much less be 80 and capable of functioning as an official.

I don't care for some of the things I'm hearing from the Vatican, but keep in mind that this is the guy who, when hearing he had been selected as pope, said something to the effect that it was like being sent to the guillotine.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Oct 05 - 03:37 PM

Hey, remember the Pope is an old guy. He came from a generation exposed to advertising that said smoking was healthy. And once you start, quitting is a monumental task. Calling him immoral because he smokes, just isn't fair play.

My ex-wife used to try to use my smoking as proof that I was a horribly immoral person. I quit after we split, but that doesn't make me a better person. Healthier and better-smelling, perhaps.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Metchosin
Date: 05 Oct 05 - 04:17 PM

well my old Mum is proof that heavy smokers can live to 80, in fact 85 so far. Now, she isn't as sharp as she was 5 years ago and we do worry somewhat that she may set herself alight while dozing.

And while she doesn't walk the dog far anymore, after he pulled her over on a walk a couple of years ago and broke a few bones, she still lives on her own, manages to do crossword puzzles and I still query her for the correct Latin word when I'm stuck on mine.

However, I do think she'd make a lousy nun, let alone pope.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Peter T.
Date: 05 Oct 05 - 11:21 PM

All these dreary old men still ruling the world.

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 01:02 AM

You think we'd be better off with Clinton Hammond as pope, Peter?

Maybe we need to let the testosterone wear off before we put men in charge of anything - or else we should put women in charge. Trouble with putting women in charge, is that too many of them try to be like men, or better than men. I do admit that the Catholic church could do better with leaders closer to the age of 50. John Paul II was reasonably young when he started as pope. Too bad he didn't retire at 75, like his fellow bishops are supposed to.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Paul Burke
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 06:03 AM

You think we'd be better off with Clinton Hammond as pope

Paisley for Pope!

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Wolfgang
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 09:38 AM

Heard being sung in Ireland in '69

We make Ian Paisley chieftain of the Vatican
We make Ian Paisley chieftain of the Vatican
We make Ian Paisley chieftain of the Vatican
when the world revolution comes along
Glory Glory, Halle.....

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Seiri Omaar
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 10:10 AM

Maybe we need to let the testosterone wear off before we put men in charge of anything - or else we should put women in charge. Trouble with putting women in charge, is that too many of them try to be like men, or better than men.
What, you mean like Margaret Thatcher?

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 10:34 AM

"You think we'd be better off with Clinton Hammond as pope"

The first thing I would do is dissolve the whole organization... and OUT all the diddlers, and those who would harbour them...

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 12:43 PM

Hmmm. Margaret Thatcher - manlier than men?
-Joe Offer, ignoring Clinton-

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: Mooh
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 09:44 PM

I try to ignore Clinton too sometimes (it's likely mutual), but I sorta agree with him here. I'm a religious sort of guy but I just don't get the Roman church, and pope stuff generally. They seem to make up the rules as they go along, in their favour, and call the rest of us wrong.

Sigh.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: New pope has my blessing
From: LadyJean
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 11:58 PM

I had a housemate who smoked. I called his bedroom Tobacco Road. The nice white walls were yellow, ditto the curtains, and there was a yellow film all over the mirrrors. I hate to think of all those smokers gunking up the Vatican like that. Oh well, his holiness is entitled to some fun. He doesn't read Harry Potter books. He thinks they're evil. Women are off limits. I hope he has a glass of beer sometimes. Being German, I suppose he does.