Pope fails to win Nobel

[arcticpenguin]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20031010/wl_nm/nobel_pope_dc


VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The decision not to give the Nobel Peace Prize to Pope John Paul (news - web sites) has disappointed Vatican officials and Catholics, who felt the ailing pontiff deserved it and may not live to get another chance.

"The pope is sick exactly because of the pain that wars caused him so he should have won the Nobel Peace Prize," said Anna, an elderly Italian, after visiting the Vatican on Friday.
Huh?

The 83-year-old pope, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, has made thousands of appeals for peace, disarmament and the relief of Third World debt throughout his long pontificate.
Perhaps, but then there incidents like his canonization of an anti-semite.

Some observers said the pope may have been overlooked for the prize despite his strong peace credentials because of his views on abortion, birth control and homosexuality.
...
Asked about this view, one Vatican official said: "I thought this was a peace prize and not a prize in sexual ethics."
As if overpopulation is merely a question of sexual ethics.

[Upchurch]

or disease control

[Marc]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin
Perhaps, but then there incidents like his canonization of an anti-semite.

canonization of anti-semites, of frauds, of people that didn't exist... Maybe if he lives long enough he'll even canonize animals, plants, and a rock or two.



Some observers said the pope may have been overlooked for the prize despite his strong peace credentials because of his views on abortion, birth control and homosexuality
Not to mention his lack of strong views on pedophile priests and church corruption in protecting them.


According to some interpertation of the prophecies of Malachai there are only supposed to be a couple more popes (suposedly before the end of the world). Kinda hope the first part comes true. :p

[iain]

Shouldn't you sort of have to do something to contribute to peace before you win the Nobel peace prize?

[Graham]

Originally posted by iain
Shouldn't you sort of have to do something to contribute to peace before you win the Nobel peace prize?

And since when has a total lack of any kind of common sense, logic or even any shred of believeability stopped the Catholic Church from claiming anything?

:roll:

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by Marc
canonization of anti-semites, of frauds, of people that didn't exist... Maybe if he lives long enough he'll even canonize animals, plants, and a rock or two.

The Nobel Peace Prize has gone to mass murderers, frauds, people who shouldn't exist.

Heck! Why not the Pope if he wants it so bad?

He can't be any worse than Kissinger or Arafat or ...

[NoZed Avenger]

I didn't get it, either, as it turns out.

[Barkhorn1x]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin
The [decision not to give the Nobel Peace Prize to Pope John Paul (news - web sites) has disappointed Vatican officials and Catholics, who felt the ailing pontiff deserved it and may not live to get another chance.


That's the "old" spin. Here is the "new" spin;
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul (news - web sites) is not upset that he failed to win the Nobel Peace Prize and is above such awards, the pope's top aide told Reuters on Friday.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20031010/wl_nm/nobel_pope_dc

Yea, sure Pope - whatever you say. :rolleyes:

Barkhorn.

[Yahzi]

Woohoo! So there is a god!

Wait... :confused:


:D :D :D

[Brown]

Last night, I happened to be watching CNN for a bit. (I was sick. I didn't know what I was doing.)

Anyway, there were three stories in a row in which the Catholic Church was complaining like a giant crybaby.

Story No. 1: The Catholic Church was upset because the Pope didn't get the Nobel Peace Prize, even though "he deserved it." Well, boo, hoo, hoo. It didn't seem to occur to the Church spokesman that someone else might be more deserving.

Story No. 2: The Catholic Church was upset because the media was reporting that the Pope's state of health was worse than it was. Well, boo, hoo, hoo. The Pope looks like he's on the verge of death, and he has had serious health-related problems of late. He is no longer the fit and vigorous man that he was. Even if the Pope is not receiving dialysis as was reported, is the Church actually suggesting that he's in a good state of health??

Story No. 3: The Catholic Church was upset because people were thinking that this priest molesting scandal was bigger than it was, and that it really only a handful of priests that were responsible. Oh, come on! The seriousness of the scandal is that the Catholic Church protected these criminals so that they could hurt even more people. Don't give me that handful-of-priests crap!

No sympathy from me on Story No. 1, Story No. 2 or Story No. 3.

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by Brown
Last night, I happened to be watching CNN for a bit. (I was sick. I didn't know what I was doing.)

Anyway, there were three stories in a row in which the Catholic Church was complaining like a giant crybaby.

Story No. 1: The Catholic Church was upset because the Pope didn't get the Nobel Peace Prize, even though "he deserved it." Well, boo, hoo, hoo. It didn't seem to occur to the Church spokesman that someone else might be more deserving.

Story No. 2: The Catholic Church was upset because the media was reporting that the Pope's state of health was worse than it was. Well, boo, hoo, hoo. The Pope looks like he's on the verge of death, and he has had serious health-related problems of late. He is no longer the fit and vigorous man that he was. Even if the Pope is not receiving dialysis as was reported, is the Church actually suggesting that he's in a good state of health??

Story No. 3: The Catholic Church was upset because people were thinking that this priest molesting scandal was bigger than it was, and that it really only a handful of priests that were responsible. Oh, come on! The seriousness of the scandal is that the Catholic Church protected these criminals so that they could hurt even more people. Don't give me that handful-of-priests crap!

No sympathy from me on Story No. 1, Story No. 2 or Story No. 3.
I'll agree with you (again), because I honestly believe you are right (again), I cant help but agree with everything you say...

Brown, ya know, you have a habit of being infallibly correct... ever consider being the next Pope (sans the burden of religion, of course)?

[Chaos]

Originally posted by Yahweh

I'll agree with you (again), because I honestly believe you are right (again), I cant help but agree with everything you say...

Brown, ya know, you have a habit of being infallibly correct... ever consider being the next Pope (sans the burden of religion, of course)?

Nice idea. Let´s elect an "Atheist Pope". The days of the Vatican are over...:roll:

[Tricky]

Originally posted by Chaos

Nice idea. Let´s elect an "Atheist Pope". The days of the Vatican are over...:roll:
Don't count on it. There's a sizable block of evidence that they already elected a female pope (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805039104/102-5306675-0292966?v=glance), so the Vatican has proved very resiliant. My favorite piece of evidence?
He comes up with intriguing facts, including the present-day existence of a strange-looking chair designed to view the papal genitals, thought to have been introduced after the Joan episode to prevent it from happening again.

I wonder who got the job of checking the Papal Package?

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by Tricky

Don't count on it. There's a sizable block of evidence that they already elected a female pope (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805039104/102-5306675-0292966?v=glance), so the Vatican has proved very resiliant. My favorite piece of evidence?


I wonder who got the job of checking the Papal Package?

Why would they bother about it anyway, it's not as if he's supposed to be getting any use out of them.

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by a_unique_person


Why would they bother about it anyway, it's not as if he's supposed to be getting any use out of them.

Badge of office, just like the gold helmet. :D

[bjornart]

And as we all know, the Nobel committee, unlike the pope, are infallible. I case anyone is curious, this is the current fivesome (one of whom has the last name Five, coincidence?):


MJØS, Ole Danbolt, b. 1939.
Professor Dr.med, University of Tromsø. President of University of Tromsø, 1989-95. Various political offices, Christian People's Party. Member of the Committee since 2003. Chairmann since 2003.

FURRE, Berge Ragnar, b. 1937.
Historian, Professor of Theology, University of Oslo. Parliamentary leader of Socialist Left Party (SV), 1975-76. Party Chairman of SV, 1976-83. Member of the Storting, 1973-77. Member of the Committee since 2003, Deputy Chairman since 2003.

RØNBECK, Sissel Marie, b. 1950.
Deputy Director, Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren). Chairman Social Democratic Youth (AUF) 1975-1977. Member of the Storting 1977-1993. Cabinet Minister 1979-81, 1986-89 and 1996-97. Member of the Committee since 1994.

YTTERHORN, Inger-Marie, b. 1941.
Senior political adviser to the Progress Party's parliamentary group. Member of the Storting, 1989-93. Member of the Election Law Ad hoc committee 1998-2001. Member of the Committee since 2000.

FIVE, Kaci Kullmann, b. 1951.
Self employed Advisor Public Affairs. Chairman of the Young Conservatives, 1977-79. Member of the Storting, 1981-97. Cabinet Minister for Trade, Shipping and European Affairs, 1989-90. Chairman of the Conservative Party, 1991-94. Member of the Committee since 2003.

From http://www.nobel.no/eng_com_mem.html

[Abdul Alhazred]

A nauseating variation on the theme.

From The Sunday Telegraph:
The Pope is better off without a Nobel prize (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/10/12/do1206.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2003/10/12/ixop.html)


Does the Pope care that he did not win the Nobel
Prize for Peace? One might equally ask whether he
goes to lap-dancing clubs or gambles in Las Vegas.
He has dedicated his entire life to others; now that
his temporal life is coming to an end, and he is about
to embark on what he considers his true life, is it
remotely possible that he is interested in the acclaim
of those strange people in darkest Scandinavia who
make these awards?

So we should rejoice that the Pope was not given
the prize; but not the reason. For one can just see
all the factors being grubbily weighed up as the
politics of prizes once again triumphed: if the Pope
got it, feminists wouldn't like it, the US government
wouldn't like it, Moslems wouldn't like it, secular
liberals wouldn't like it. So why not give it to an
Iranian human rights woman lawyer no one has
ever heard of?



By the way, would some of you UK folks tell me what kind of paper The Telegraph is in general? I can guess, but UK politics aren't always obvious to me.

[Peter Jenkins]

The Telegraph is a right-of-centre broadsheet. It's the Conservative party media piece. Imagine Margaret Thatcher as a newspaper.

Should the Pope even be up for consideration? On the whole, his papacy has been a mixed bag, with a whole range of desicions which are - at best - questionable.
While the Pope has been pampered and protected in the dusty conservative confines of the Vatican, the Nobel prize winner, Shirin Ebadi has spent time in prison for 'disturbing the public opinion'

Then again, in some respects - Kissinger - the nobel is a debased unit

[Barkhorn1x]

Originally posted by Peter Jenkins

Then again, in some respects - Kissinger - the nobel is a debased unit

How about Arafat??

Barkhorn.

[ceo_esq]

Originally posted by Barkhorn1x
How about Arafat??

Barkhorn.If I were the cynical type, I might add "How about the UN in 2001?"
Originally posted by Peter Jenkins
While the Pope has been pampered and protected in the dusty conservative confines of the Vatican, the Nobel prize winner, Shirin Ebadi has spent time in prison for 'disturbing the public opinion'In fairness, the pope hasn't always been pampered and protected. As a young man and a leader of the underground Polish cultural resistance he narrowly escaped being rounded up by the Nazis on several occasions, in which case he almost certainly would have met a worse fate than the suspended jail sentence and probation that Ebadi received.

He also spends considerably less time in the "dusty conservative confines of the Vatican" than any other pope in the last few centuries.

This pope is shortlisted for the peace prize every year, and would have made a decent choice. Unfortunately for him, he suffers from a wart in the Nobel beauty contest, as one of the editors of the Wall Street Journal Europe pointed out: "He is a religious leader, which means he runs around doing all that uncool moralizing."

I'm just glad that they didn't award it to Bono, who was, apparently, also shortlisted.

[LW]

Originally posted by Tricky

Don't count on it. There's a sizable block of evidence that they already elected a female pope (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805039104/102-5306675-0292966?v=glance), so the Vatican has proved very resiliant. My favorite piece of evidence?


And for the Straight Dope (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_139.html) version of it.

A more complete account from The Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08407a.htm). But in short: the first mention for Pope Joan comes from mid-13th century, 400 years after the alleged events. There exists physical evidence (coin dateable to 855 and an abbey charter) that Benedict III was nominated as pope directly after Leo IV's death.

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by Barkhorn1x


How about Arafat??

Barkhorn.

How about him? There are too many lousy peace prize winners to mention them all in passing. I will look it up and come up with a definitve list pretty soon.

Have patience.