Pope's visit...

[Tahoe]

Is this really breaking news?

[Zekyl]

Fuck the Pope and the Catholic church.

[Timone]

pwnt.

Bad experience, Zekyl? jk

[Zekyl]

Nah, never been Catholic. Its just all a big political thing (internal politics, not U.S. politics). Organized religion is pretty much a sham. My favorite part is "Thou shalt have no false idols" yet the catholic church is just stuffed full of these false idols, every saint they pray to, the Virgin Mary, etc.

[Timone]

Way to go, Zek. You are about to turn this into a debate about religion!

[Tahoe]

I'm not Catholic, but I'm really having a hard time finding the fascination the press has covering his every move.

[geerussell]

He's a head of state (even if it's only on a technicality) and a the figurehead of one of the world's major religions. Newsworthy.

[Tahoe]

They don't do breaking news segments and follow other heads of states around like this.

[geerussell]

Other heads of state aren't heads of religions too. At least not major ones anyway. Trust me, if the prime minister of Israel was the jewish equivalent of the pope, he'd get the rock star treatment too.

There are a gazillion practicing catholics, another gazillion non-practicing catholics and a couple bajillion non-catholic christians of various stripes all interested in what he has to say when he's here.

Then there are sagans of non-christians who follow what he says and does just so they'll be up to speed on what the Joneses are doing.

I may believe that christian mythology is a bunch of hooey, but on a practical and political level, the pope is still very relevant.

[geerussell]

Speaking of his hatness...

Vatican Hints at Changes in Church Laws on Abuse

You know, I'm not even going to bother quoting the article. Seriously. What part of "stop diddling little boys" is so hard for the catholic church to grasp and make part of the rulebook? How many rules and technicalities could there possibly be to haggle over?