He had mistresses, girlfriends and children. Supporter of the arts, defender of Jews expelled from Iberia, and aribitrator between Portugal and Spain in the newly invaded Americas. Let us now remember Rodrigo Borgia (1431-1503), Pope Alexander VI from 1492 until his death in 1503!
Sadly, the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter Reformation turned the papacy into a more dour institution. The Protestants ushered in a real drag of a time for Christians. Could anything be more prim and joyless than Calvinism, Lutheranism and Puritanism? I particularly loathe the doctrines of Puritans and Baptists and their legacy of idiotic "blue laws." Even now in 2010, blue laws cling to parts of the modern USA like self-inflicted chancres -- centuries later.
One would think it obvious we could use another rockin' pope, one who would embrace earthly realities again; free the priests, too -- at least the parish priests. For God's sake, let your rarefied people live fully, out among the common people and not behind closed doors only. What do you think: let priests marry again? Free the papacy? And how about nuns?
Today's Rune: The Messenger.
5 comments:
*shrug* ain't my "religion" so it isn't for me to comment on how they comport themselves as long as it's legal. Though I do believe they should as an institution be taxed with the same mercilessness they condemn the sinners.
The Tudors begins its final season in April, but fans of historical drama needn't fret: on Saturday, Showtime announced plans for The Borgias, a new 10-episode drama starring Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia, "the patriarch of the most infamous family of Italian patriarchs," says Showtime programming chief Robert Greenblatt. The series, originally planned as a feature film, starts as Borgia becomes Pope in 1492, and will be written by The Tudors' Michael Hirst and produced by Oscar winner Neil... (USA Today -- Life)
I REMEMBER A PRIEST FROM MY HOMETOWN WHO WAS MUCH BELOVED. THE HIGHER UPS SENT HIM TO THE POVERTY OF A SOUTH AMERICAN PLACE SO HE WOULD LEARN HUMILITY. OUR COMMUNITY LOST A KIND AND THOUGHTFUL MAN.
I like the idea of a rockin' Pope!
Don't forget that there were benefits from the Luther revolution. I took a great seminar at the beginning of grad school in the summer of 1984 about the effects of Luther and the Reformation on Western Democracy. Don't forget, too, that in order to compete with Protestantism, the Catholic church had to reform, at least for a while.
Iggy Pope?
Oh Oh, the endless See...
JC
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