Details Emerge On Papal Visit To DC

Via the Wall Street Journal:

Pope Francis’ September address to Congress will be broadcast live on the west side of the U.S. Capitol building, so members of the public can watch in a setup similar to presidential inaugurations, House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) announced Wednesday. The pope is expected to deliver brief remarks to the public assembled outside the Capitol after his Sept. 24 speech, said Mr. Boehner, who invited the pope to speak before lawmakers. The public will be able to watch the pope over giant television screens screens. “The visit of Pope Francis to the U.S. Capitol is a historic moment for the country,” Mr. Boehner said in a statement Wednesday. Mr. Boehner, who is Catholic, invited the pope to address Congress on March 13, 2014. The pope formally accepted the invitation on Feb. 5, 2015.

How much is this Catholic event costing the city?

Sanjaya And Fantasia Both Eliminated In Third Round Of Vatican Idol

Tweet Of The Day - Conclave Chimney

Papal Conclave Begins

Tweet Of The Day: Resigned Pope

Taiwan Animators On The Pope

Nailed it.

HomoQuotable - Andrew Sullivan

"The damage Benedict XVI has done to the Catholic Church and the papacy may be far from over. All I can say about yesterday’s developments is that they seem potentially disastrous and also indicative to me of something truly weird going on underneath all of this. Benedict’s handsome male companion will continue to live with him, while working for the other Pope during the day. Are we supposed to think that’s, well, a normal arrangement?  This man – clearly in some kind of love with Ratzinger (and vice-versa) will now be working for the new Pope as secretary in the day and spending the nights with the Pope Emeritus. This is not the Vatican. It’s Melrose Place." - Andrew Sullivan, implying that the Pope is gay. And yes, Bill Donohue's head has already exploded.

Pope: The Lord Snoozed On Me

"There were moments of joy and light but also moments that were not easy. There were moments, as there were throughout the history of the Church, when the seas were rough and the wind blew against us and it seemed that the Lord was sleeping. I took this step in the full knowledge of its gravity and rarity but with a profound serenity of spirit." - Benedict Palpatine, in today's farewell address.

The Pope Waves Goodbye Behind His Bullet-Proof Shield From God's Wrath

Pope Uses Final Tweet To Express Pity For Anybody Who Isn't A Christian

Cardinal Roger Mahony: Stop Condemning Me For Shielding Child Rapists

"I can't recall a time such as now when people tend to be so judgmental and even self-righteous, so quick to accuse, judge and condemn.  And often with scant real facts and information.  Because of news broadcasts now 24/7 there is little or no fact checking; no in-depth analysis; no context or history given.  Rather, everything gets reported as 'news' regardless of the basis for the item being reported--and passed on by countless other news outlets.

"We have ended up with a climate in which it's the norm to instantly pass judgement on one another, taking in and repeating gossip, sharing someone else's judgment as the truth, no regard for other people who may be harmed.  Whatever happened to the norm of giving others the benefit of a doubt until hard evidence proves otherwise?" - Cardinal Roger Mahony, complaining on his blog that people are super-mean to to him just because he shielded pedophiles from the police.

Oh, and guess where Mahony is today?

Catholic Vote Calls For Cardinal Mahony To Withdraw From Papal Conclave

Catholic Vote, where NOM's "cultural affairs director" Thomas Peters occasionally blogs, today posted a call for pedophile-shielding Cardinal Roger Mahony to withdraw from the coming papal conclave.  The post notes the "credible accusations" made against British Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who yesterday resigned, and urges Mahony to follow O'Brien's example. Tom Crowe writes:

I’ll not get into the moral balancing act of “which action is worse, inappropriate advances toward seminarians and other priests or shielding an abuser,” because neither is remotely acceptable, or even rationalize-able-because-of-the-times, conduct for a prelate. But if O’Brien so quickly and simply removes himself out of a desire to protect the Church from the taint of his involvement, why cannot Mahony see the virtue in that action also? To be sure, Mahony has the right to attend the conclave as a cardinal of the Church younger than 80 years old, and I have defended that right to others who think he ought not have that right. But having a right to do something and exercising that right are different things.

RELATED: NOM has three times cited O'Brien's campaign against same-sex marriage in Britain, but remains silent on the current scandal.

Ill Papa Wants Your Prayers

Bill Donohue Vs Dan Savage

"Unable to mount a rational critique of Pope Benedict XVI, he [Dan Savage] settled for writing a headline that was almost as long as his 'story.' It reads, 'That Motherf***ing Power-Hungry, Self-Aggrandized Bigot In the Stupid F***ing Hat Announces His Retirement.' Savage has a long history of trashing Catholicism, and he not only does it with impunity, he is rewarded for it. To wit: In 2011, he was invited to a White House reception for homosexuals. He said he arrived with his husband (would that make him the guy’s wife?). Savage gets away with his vile rants against Catholicism because he knows he can. Let’s face it, most of the mainstream media are as pro-gay as they are anti-Catholic. It really isn’t any more complicated than this." - Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue.

Gambling On The Next Pope

Above are the current odds on Intrade. Tim Dolan is way down the list at 2.1%.

Italian Newspaper Claims Pope Resigned Due To Influence By "Gay Lobby"

According to an unsubstantiated claim by an Italian newspaper, the Pope resigned partially due to an internal Vatican report which warned that a "gay lobby" has an "inappropriate influence" on the daily workings of his office.

The newspaper suggests that such was Benedict’s dismay when presented with the details of the report on December 17th that it hardened his long-meditated decision to resign. The internal report prepared by Cardinals Julian Herranz, Josef Tomko and Salvatore De Giorgi had been commissioned by Benedict himself. He had ordered it in response to the so-called Vatileaks scandal which culminated with the arrest and subsequent conviction last autumn of the Pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, found guilty of having stolen confidential documents from the papal apartment. In this morning's article, it is claimed that the cardinals reported that various lobbies within the Holy See were consistently breaking the sixth and seventh commandments, namely "thou shalt not steal" and "thou shalt not commit adultery". The "stealing" was in particular related to the Vatican Bank, IOR, whilst the sexual offences were related to the influence of an active gay lobby within the Vatican.

The above-linked article notes that the newspaper does not report the source of its claim and offers no quotes from any of the involved parties.

On Mahony's Vote For The New Pope

A Catholic magazine is asking its Italian readers if scandal-ridden Cardinal Roger Mahony should be allowed to vote for the next pope.

An influential Italian Catholic magazine asked its readers if Mahony should participate in the conclave. Famiglia Cristiana, one of Italy's most-read magazines, featured the question on its website Monday asking readers: "Your opinion: Mahony in the conclave: Yes or No?" For Catholics United, an American nonprofit organization, the answer is a resounding "no." "It's the right thing to do," said Andrea Leon-Grossman, a Los Angeles member of Catholics United, in a statement on its website. "In the interests of the children who were raped in his diocese, he needs to keep out of the public eye. He has already been stripped of his ministry. If he's truly sorry for what has happened, he would show some humility and opt to stay home."

Archbishop Jose Gomez, who stripped Mahony of his other duties as a Cardinal, has no problem with Mahony voting: "Cardinal Mahony's accomplishments and experience in the areas of immigration, social justice, sacred liturgy, and the role of the laity in the Church will serve the College of Cardinals well as it works to discern the will of the Holy Spirit in these deliberations that will lead to the election of our new Pope."

150,000 Attend Pope's Final Public Mass

Quote Of The Day - Bill Maher

"Hey Catholics, newsflash — if the Pope can quit, it’s OK for you to quit, too. As you all know, this week Pope Benedict told Vatican radio — you know Vatican radio, playing the hits from the 8th century, the 9th century and today — Benedict told them he was going to resign because the church needs a fresh young face somewhere other than a priest’s lap." - Bill Maher, who has the readers of Daily Caller ever so pissed.

Pope Betty Bowers The First