Il Papa di Roma

[Mephisto]

I was watching one of the seemingly endless documentaries surrounding the past Pope, the new Pope and all the accompanying (and ridiculous) rituals recently, and a narrator mentioned that several doddering old Cardinals had an endearing nickname for the new Pope (before he was chosen by God to be Pope).

They called him Ratzi, apparently a shortened version of his real surname. Now, if you consider the fact that the Pope is called, Il Papa by the Italians, then he becomes, Il Papa Ratzi.

AND, if you take into consideration his compulsory military service, he becomes, Il Papa Ratzi Nazi, or chronologically, Il Nazi Papa Ratzi.

Cool huh?

Mephisto

[geni]

Maybe the first 5839483 times but since it is historicaly incorrect and we already have three threads on the subject and I've spent to last few days cleaning that kind of vandalism from the Pope Benedict XVI article on wikipedia I think it has lost some of it's charm.

[Mephisto]

I guess if you're tired of it, then everyone else must be as well, eh?

Mephisto

[geni]

Originally posted by Mephisto
I guess if you're tired of it, then everyone else must be as well, eh?

Mephisto

If they have been posting on these boards for the last few days yes. Fact no one has been able to show that Benedict was or is a nazi.

[Mephisto]

It seems to me that you are taking it a bit too seriously.

It also seems to me that generalizations for the sake of humor are common. Also, if you consider nicknames for various soldiers from different countries during WWI and WWII, you can see that your distinctions are too serious.

American soldiers = GIs

British soldiers = doughboys

Australian soldier = limeys

German soldiers = Krauts or Nazis

Of course this NOT meant in a derrogitory manner, and I certainly don't believe that the new Pope could have supported the Nazi party, it's just put together for the purpose of humor - one of the things that many philosophers seem to lose as they take themselves more seriously.

Here are a few links that state that the Pope did indeed serve in the German military under the Nazi party.

" His choice of the word "dictatorship" is revealing: As a young man growing up in Nazi Germany, he was repelled by Adolf Hitler's ruinous corruptions of truth and morality.

According to his autobiography, "Milestone: Memoirs: 1927-1977," he served in the Hitler Youth, a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party, during World War II, when membership was compulsory. But he was never a member of the Nazi Party, and his family opposed Hitler's regime, biographers have said."

http://www.freep.com/news/nw/pbenedict20e_20050420.htm

"1941: Enrolled against his will in Hitler Youth. Dismissed shortly afterward because of his intention to study for the priesthood.

1943-44: Studies interrupted by compulsory wartime military service. Deserted near the close of the war, in part because he was so repelled by the Nazi cause. He was briefly incarcerated by the Americans as a prisoner of war in 1945"

http://springfield.news-leader.com/specialreports/popejohnpaulii/20050420-Theenforcerassu.html

Now lighten up and laugh (or stop if you've heard this one).

Mephisto

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by geni
Maybe the first 5839483 times but since it is historicaly incorrect and we already have three threads on the subject and I've spent to last few days cleaning that kind of vandalism from the Pope Benedict XVI article on wikipedia I think it has lost some of it's charm.

Actually, I thought it was funny.

[sackett]

I'll admit that I'm tired of the nazi business. As another poster said somewhere, Pope Ratzi "Eggs" Benedict is bad enough without trying to make him worse.

Yell "'Ey! Uovi! Come' sta?" at him sometime and I'll bet he gives you a VERY hairy eyeball.

[Ausmerican]

ummm Australian soldiers are called 'diggers.' Limeys are what the Americans call the English while the Aussies call the English Poms.