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“This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque ‘salon’ with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West “saloon” with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven.” – Fr. Z
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Pope Benedict: “I am the ghost of Vatican II past…waooooo”
Fr. Lombardi: “Your Holiness, we have company”
Pope Benedict: “*ahem* Yes, indeed. Apologies”
In response to the protests of the world; “Raise your hands in the air like you don’t care!” To the great applause of Cardinale Bertone and all Christ’s faithful.
The Holy Father made headlines today for his impersonation of Benny Hinn.
“We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”
———
Pope Benedict, who is known to fall asleep while standing, is photographed here having one of his “flying” dreams.
———
Pope Mimerius I is trapped in a box.
Hm, the Holy Father looks like he’s losing weight.
Perhaps he lost the bullet-proof vest.
Pope to manicurist: Do you think my nails have dried yet?
or…
Pope shows how he rides a bike. Look, no hands!
“Can I get an Amen!?!”
Oh Fr. Z… This is a horrible picture of the pope.
“Oh! I just love to fly AlItalia! The flight attendants look so retro in those hats and gloves!”
Not a flattering picture. We’ve all had such embarrassing pictures taken of us, so in charity, please take it down.
He looks like the kids these days at their LifeTeen Masses.
I think it’s a cute picture. I love Pope BXVI. He seems like a sweet man. I can still hear him when he was a here a year ago. Speaking at the Youth Mass “Have Courage!”. He’s a dynamo!
I like it. I love B. XVI. I’ve tried to think of a good caption, but I got nothin’.
W
OK, I checked with the galley, and there’s 10 lasagnas left. Everyone else has to have the creamed chipped beef.
“Ahhh forget all you dissenters…I don’t even want to hear it”
I love God thiiis much.
Raise yo hands in the ai-er, if you’s a true Papa.
“Then you do the Hokie-Pokie and turn the altars
back around…That’s what it’s all about.”
In response to French protests :
Benedict XVI sings a France song of Edith Piaf “Non, je ne regrette rien” (“No, I regret nothing”)
The captain’s just announced they’ll be hitting some turbulence. Given the Pope being, well, the Pope, he just doesn’t get the time he used to to indulge in his love for roller coasters, so he takes the thrills where he can get them.
Alright. Alright. Enough already. I’ll do the EF for Easter.
“Raise the roof!”
Dancing along to Michael Jackson video…. ’cause this is Thriller
How big is Pope BXVI….He’s Thiiiiiiiis Big
I like the picture. God bless Pope BXVI.
Your point in posting this is…?
For a more honest and meaningful depiction of the Holy Father, look to Vatican YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uwe6Ifabic&feature=channel_page
You’ll see the hands of Christ reaching out through Pope Benedict’s clear and profound love for these people in a war-torn land. Look at the Pope’s eyes, his hands, notice how strong and happy he looks, doing the work he’s assigned as Vicar of Christ on Earth.
The fruits, right? That’s how we’ll know who is who, and what they’re actually up to? Right? SO, again, your point in posting the unfortunate, candid shot of Pope Benedict is…?
Oh come on, guys…tell me y’all didn’t think of it first:
Pope Benedict, inspired by the memory of one of his college theatre classes, expertly performs the pantomime, “help me, I’m stuck inside an invisible box!”
Throw it to me! I’m OPEN!! I’m OPEN!!
I see that E Francis (above) has arrived just in a knick of time with the wet blankets . . .
David Andrew –
Reality can be such an annoyance, I know, especially for Catholics, but for those who do truly want to follow Christ, mockery is not a viable option. Christ is hard to follow, but what alternative does a Catholic have? What option do you have, David, if you are Catholic?
It really isn’t cafeteria-style.
One thing I greatly respect in Pope Benedict’s writings is that he never resorts to mockery, even with people and ideologies he dissapproves of. He doesn’t engage life at that low a level.
The posting of this photo is at best, tacky, fun a someone else’s expense, when the Pope is working so hard for us all.
Think, then post.
Oh, poor Ed Francis . . . you’ve no sense of humor.
If it were your job to judge the hearts of those who participate here regularly (which it’s not), you’d be such a harsh judge. I don’t think what Fr. Z has done here (or elsewhere) is mockery at all, and I find your attacks on me to be your true fruits.
I love the Holy Father, as does everyone who spends time here at Fr. Z’s blog (except for those who he hasn’t had to call out for being phoney or an agent provocateur, as I suspect you are).
We see the Holy Father as intelligent, generous, gentle, pastoral and certainly holy . . . but also human. We’re having some gentle, innocent fun.
Besides, if Fr. Z thinks this pic or any of the posts in this thread are in any way sinful, harmful or damaging to the welfare of the immortal souls of those here, or would cause serious scandal, I for one trust he’ll take it down.
Enough said.
Isn’t all of this kind of disrespectful? Fr. Z I don’t want to be rude but would you have posted something portraying Jesus or Mary doing something like this? The Holy Father is the Vicar of Christ and his person is sacred. If there are any people who view this sight who are not respectful to the Pope, I think that this may be an occasion of sin to commit sacrilege against the person of the Holy Father.
Many will call it humor but not all humor is good.
Ed Francis,
Do you think that Jesus turned water into wine because he didn’t have a sense of humour? Everything I have read about Pope Benedict suggests he is a most affable and engaging personality. I think he would find Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s and the other captions very funny.
Speaking of the transcendent chemistry of water into wine, I am soon to try turning water into a brew resembling Pope Benedict’s geliebtes Bier. I will of course also instill some Hopfen und Malz as I think I have already exhausted my life’s quota of divine interventions. I do not push the state of the art in matters of mystery.
Prosit! Und es lebe unser Heiliger Vater.
I do not see the point in this. There are thousands of clean jokes out there. Why post jokes about the Holy Father? This should not be on a true Catholic blog. This blog is becoming less and less dignified. I think sites like http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/ and http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/ are better run because they don’t go all over the place.
Imagine… thousands if not millions of people are going to see this picture. If it had never been posted here then these people may never have seen it, and these kinds of pictures do not show respect to the Holy Father. The ability to capture an image within a split second enables us to see images of this sort, but just because we have the ability does that mean we should use it in a way that is uncharitable? This is one of those images the secular news media would love to use in order to poke fun at the Pope. It should not appear on a Catholic site even if it is not intended to do harm. Fr. Z intends no harm to the Pope, for he is a loyal Catholic priest; however, this is precisely why I cannot understand why this is on his site.
This is my favorite comment.
“In response to the protests of the world; “Raise your hands in the air like you don’t care!” To the great applause of Cardinale Bertone and all Christ’s faithful. by Fr. Steve
God has a sense of humor. We should too.
Viva il Papa!
To those who may be concerned about the humor, have you not seen the Caption contests at
American Papist?
http://www.americanpapist.com/labels/humor.html
There is no offense or disrespect intended.
Now I understand why he plays piano. Look how long his fingers are!
Gesundheit!
Wow, there is a mantelletta, I haven’t seen one of those in years !!!!!!!!!!!!
“Ok just the ladies now…’Ja,Ja,Ja,Ja/Weisst nicht wie gut ich der bin’…”
Caption: Benedict XVI tries in vain to teach Cardinal Bertone the rubrics for “The Wave”.
David Andrew – “We’re having some gentle, innocent fun.”
Based on responses, I’m not the only reader to find this photo disrespectful of Pope Benedict XVI. And, you’re not the only one to think having fun at someone else’s expense is “innocent.”
The photo is clearly a “freeze-frame,” i.e. it depicts a moment in time, pulled out of context with the Pope’s actual movements. He may have been beginning an invocation of prayer in that moment, for all we know. But, this shot, because it is a visual image, presents itself as an accurate representation of Pope Benedict. I’m not talking about Fr Z’s intent in posting it, but of the photo’s effect on a viewer who may not share your sense of “humor.”
How many times have I read indignant responses here, taking “liberal” or “modern” press to task for using the Pope’s words out of context? For deliberately sidestepping what he actually said, and the point he was trying to make, and instead grabbing a misleading or actually false “word-bite,” and using that to try to diminish the man and the importance in the world at this time.
There’s nothing subtle or nuanced about that potential for harm. The photo and the “fun” are disrespectful, showing no reverence. That’s why I posted an alternative. I wonder if you followed the link to a video that shows an accurate picture of our Pope. Fun is fun, but what we are in the middle of is not a game. Violating Spiritual works of Mercy is not worth the guffaw you apparently value.
Roland – “Everything I have read about Pope Benedict suggests he is a most affable and engaging personality.”
Instead of reading “about” Pope Benedict, read his own writings. If you still think he would approve of fun at someone else’s expense, read him again.
“He may have been beginning an invocation of prayer in that moment, for all we know.”
I think not, judging by what Cardinal Bertone seems to be doing (laughing, and clapping) conversely, for all we know, the Holy Father is saying something funny. If that is the case Mr. Francis, your anger is wasted…by the way, I have read much of what the Holy Father has written, and it does not come across as “Wow, what a funny guy!” For that kind of information, I would have to read things that people who have met him have written about him. Please don’t insist that our gentle good humour is disrespectful. Your rigidity though, may be.
Semper Fi!
I thought I had avoided flame wars when I left Livejournal ten years ago. Apparently they are alive and well, and concerned about even MORE trivial things.
Ed Francis: Instead of reading “about” Pope Benedict, read his own writings. If you still think he would approve of fun at someone else’s expense, read him again.
Ed,
Thank you for your helpful suggestion. In fact, I have done both and will continue to do so. I find that the seriousness of his own writing hardly precludes his being an affable companion to his friends. That his predecessor was as well is evidenced by his having been caught several times on camera in acts of drollery.
Cheer up! You don’t want to arrive at the Pearly Gates with a scowl on your face. St. Pete might think you just croaked in a state of mortal sin, and then you’ve got some explaining to do!
I’ll leave you with words of Hilaire Belloc:
Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There’s always laughter and good red wine,
At least I’ve always thought it so,
Benedicamus Domino.
“Mind? Ach, of course I don’t mind! They are mein bruders adn sisters and kinder, so of course they can make up captions! Vat’s a family album wizout funny pictures?
“Now, let’s pull up LOLSaints and put it on ze big screen for entertainment during the flight.”
Aw come on guys..how could you miss this one!
Its the HOKEY POKEY!!!!!
“Hang on… I have to sneeze…”