Stephen Colbert on why Quebec cardinal shouldn’t be pope: He’s Canadian

[puckstopshere]

Is the world ready for a Canadian pope? Stephen Colbert says no.

Colbert devoted most of his satirical news show “The Colbert Report” to coverage of Pope Benedict’s surprise resignation on Monday, handicapping the possible contenders to lead the world’s Catholics.

While the late-night funnyman acknowledged Quebec native Marc Cardinal Ouellet is in the running, he just couldn’t see him in the Church’s top job.

Ouellet, the funnyman says, has one major weakness: he’s a Canadian.

“The Pope cannot be polite,” said Cobert, standing in front of his “Papal Speculatron 7500.”

“I’m sorry but ‘I think God might not want you to use a condom, eh’ won’t work.”

He also said nobody wants a Pope who might replace the traditional golden staff, while a doctored photo showed Ouellet in papal robes holding a Team Canada hockey stick.

The satirical newsman frequently needles America’s northern neighbour on his show.

Ouellet, named a cardinal in 2003 by Pope John Paul II, was tabbed by Pope Benedict in 2010 to head the powerful Congregation for Bishops, which vets nominations for bishops worldwide. Foreign bookmakers have ranked him as one of the most likely candidates to take over from Pope Benedict.

Colbert also mentioned Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, and Peter Cardinal Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, as contenders.

But they didn’t get the Colbert Bump, which is his highest endorsement.

That went to Timothy Cardinal Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York, someone Colbert described as “a BFF — Bishop Friend Forever.”

“After all, God’s an American,” Colbert explained. “That’s why the Bible is in English.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/stephen-colbert-on-why-quebec-cardinal-shouldnt-be-pope...

[pierrelebel]

" “Many people around the world would think the election (of an American Cardinal) was fixed by the CIA or bought by Wall Street,” said the Rev. Tom Reese, a Jesuit priest and senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Woodstock Theological Center."

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/02/12/an-american-pope-eyes-turn-to-new-yorks-cardinal-timothy-dola... 

[puckstopshere]

Not being a Catholic, I really don't care who gets picked. 

I think it is time that they stopped picking old, hard line traditionalists.

The church is in need of some modernizing.

I have read speculation in the media that Dolan might be picked.  However, some have said that the current culture in the U.S. makes it unlikely that he would be chosen.

The Catholics have been relatively silent on the issue of guns in the U.S.  One would think that they would have a strong opinion about guns and gun violence.  And, apparently they do:

http://www.uscatholic.org/news/2011/01/gun-control-church-firmly-quietly-opposes-firearms-civilians

The fact that they have been relatively silent smacks of politics.  They do not want to publicly take a stand that might be unpopular with many Americans. 

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

I doubt they will pick a Pope from N. America because there is really no payoff for them. Religion in N. America is dying. The young people are too open minded and asking too many questions that cannot be answered….never could. Churches are closing, seminaries and nunneries have less and less novitiates. From a business point of view….and the Church is all business….a European Pope is better to keep the focus there and still appeal to N. Americans for their ………….money.