THE CARDINAL PRE-CONCLAVE BEGINS-GUESS WHO WINS

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.

THE ITALIANS ARE BETTING ON SCOLA TO BE NEXT POPE.MY 1ST CHOICE TO BE NEXT POPE ALSO.

JOSEPH RATZINGERS FIRST WEEK AS POPE BENEDICT 16TH AND OTHER VIDEOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tPvM1K2e2A&list=UUxshhzR907v2w6DjICyAgLQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCUvSmvndNs&list=UUxshhzR907v2w6DjICyAgLQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwRr6N2qAqQ&list=UUxshhzR907v2w6DjICyAgLQ&index=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Tork1c-moXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lx_wwx1A9vc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vTQMqIgmTYI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=n8CNCum6-Cs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=n8CNCum6-Cs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iEz_zXMWqLQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0NnzHxwvXw&list=UUxshhzR907v2w6DjICyAgLQ&index=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orH5pYcwl74&list=UUxshhzR907v2w6DjICyAgLQ 
http://www.youtube.com/user/romereports?feature=watch

REVELATION 17:4-6,9
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)

The Cardinals are Bishops, they wear the color crimson (scarlet) red to represent the blood of the martyrs who died for Christ. They are also referred as the Princes of Blood.The Bishops wear the color purple to symbolize royalty, because of their position within the Church. They also wear the color black to symbolize poverty.

Pope speaks of "rough seas" of papacy at emotional farewell

By Philip Pullella | Reuters – 1 hr 8 mins ago FEB 27,13

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict bid an emotional farewell at his last general audience on Wednesday, acknowledging the "rough seas" that marked his papacy "when it seemed that the Lord was sleeping."In an unusually public outpouring for such a private man, he alluded to some of the most difficult times of his papacy, which was dogged by sex abuse scandals, leaks of his private papers and reports of infighting among his closest aides."Thank you, I am very moved," Benedict told a cheering crowd of more than 150,000 people in St Peter's Square a day before he becomes the first pope to step down in some six centuries.He said he had great trust in the Church's future, that his abdication was for the good of the Church and asked for prayers for cardinals choosing his successor at a time of crisis.The Vatican said the address, repeatedly interrupted by applause and cries of "Benedict, Benedict" - was the last by the pope, who as of Thursday evening will have the title "pope emeritus.""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," he said.When he finished the crowd, which spilled over into surrounding streets and included many of the red-hatted cardinals who will elect his successor in a closed doors conclave next month, stood to applaud."I took this step in the full knowledge of its gravity and rarity but with a profound serenity of spirit," he said, as people in the crowd wave supportive banners and national flags.Loving the Church meant, "having the courage to take difficult and anguished choices, always having in mind the good of the church and not oneself," he said.The pope says he is too old and weak to continue leading a Church beset by crises over child abuse by priests and a leak of confidential Vatican documents showing corruption and rivalry among Vatican officials.He said he was not "coming down from the cross" but would serve the Church through prayer.Some of those who have faulted Benedict for resigning have pointed to the late Pope John Paul, who said he would "not come down from the cross" despite his bad health because he believed his suffering could inspire others.
CHURCH CRISIS
Many Catholics and even some close papal aides were stunned by his decision on February 11 and concerned about the impact it will have on a Church torn by divisions.Most in the square were supportive of Benedict, an increasingly frail figure in the last months of his papacy."He did what he had to do in his conscience before God," said Sister Carmel, from a city north of Rome, who came to the capital with her fellow nuns and members of her parish."This is a day in which we are called to trust in the Lord, a day of hope," she said. "There is no room for sadness here today. We have to pray, there are many problems in the Church but we have to trust in the Lord."Not everyone agreed."He was a disaster. It's good for everyone that he resigned," said Peter McNamara, 61, an Australian of Irish descent who said he had come to the square "to witness history".The pope, a theologian and professor, never felt truly comfortable with the weight of the papacy and many Catholics feel that, although he was a towering Church figure, perhaps the cardinals should have chosen someone else in 2005."It was clear from the start that he was more at home in a library," said Carla Manton, 65. "A very good man but he realized in his heart that this was the right thing to do for himself and the Church and now he will pray, he will pray for all of us."Benedict will move to the papal summer residence south of Rome on Thursday night and later to a convent in the Vatican.He will lay aside the red "shoes of the fisherman" that have been part of his papal attire and wear brown loafers given to him by shoemakers during a trip to Leon, Mexico last year. He will wear a "simple white cassock", the Vatican said.
His lead seal and his ring of office, known as the "ring of the fisherman", will be destroyed according to Church rules, just as if he had died.The Vatican said on Tuesday that the pope was sifting through documents to see which will remain in the Vatican and go into the archives of his papacy and which "are of a personal nature and he will take to his new residence".Among the documents left for the next pope will be a confidential report by three cardinals into the "Vatileaks" affair last year when Benedict's former butler revealed private papers showing corruption and in-fighting inside the Vatican.The new pope will inherit a Church marked by Vatileaks and child abuse scandals involving priests in Europe and the United States, both of which may have weighed on Benedict's decision.On Thursday, he will greet cardinals in Rome. That afternoon he will fly by helicopter to the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, a 15-minute journey. In his last appearance as pope, he will greet residents and well-wishers in a small square.At 8 p.m. the Swiss Guards who stand as sentries at the residence will march off in a sign that the papacy is vacant.Benedict changed Church rules so that cardinals who start pre-conclave meetings on Friday could begin the conclave earlier than the 15 days after the papacy becomes vacant prescribed by the previous law.The Vatican appears to be aiming to have a new pope elected by mid-March and installed before Palm Sunday on March 24 so he can preside at Holy Week services leading to Easter.Cardinals have begun informal consultations by phone and email in the past two weeks since Benedict said he was quitting.

02/26/2013 VATICAN INSIDER

Conclave: Absence of clear favourite leaves door open to a number of possibilities

The complexities of the upcoming Conclave

Cardinals, including the over 80s, have started their pre-Conclave pow wows. Many Italians are betting on Scola. U.S. candidates will play a central role but there is still uncertainty over the future Pope’s profile

GIACOMO GALEAZZI vatican city Big manoeuvres are expected in the election of the next successor to the Seat of Peter. Cardinals, including the over 80s among them (Sodano and Ruini), have kick started the pre-Conclave pow wows. Many Italians are betting on Scola being elected as he would strengthen the front and prevent a split, like the one which occurred between Benelli and Siri in 1978, paving the way for outsider Wojtyla’s rise to the Seat of Peter. The focus will also be on U.S. cardinals as they were the first to deal with the paedophilia scandal, they are at the forefront of issues that are key for the Catholic Church in today’s secularised society (the constant friction between U.S. bishops and the Obama administration over issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion demonstrated this), and more prosaically, they are the biggest contributors to the Holy See’s coffers. The Church does not appear to be ready for an African or Asian. Africa and Asia are scarcely represented in the Conclave. Whoever is elected as the next leader of the Catholic Church will have to add Ratzinger’s “purification” programme to their agenda. The profile of the new Pope remains hazy. In his last homily before leaving for Rome, the Archbishop of Washington, Donald William Wuerl, who figures in the list of those considered likely to be elected Pope (the papabili) expressed enthusiasm but also apprehension at the prospect of electing Benedict XVI’s successor. The new Pope will have to have the energy and presence needed in order to tackle the big challenges the Church faces. Argentinean media consider Leonardo Sandri and Jorge Bergoglio, (the two Argentinean cardinals who are taking part in the Conclave) to be potential papabili; the first because of the influence he has in the Curia and the second because of his international prestige which led him to become the most voted cardinal in the 2005 Conclave.Cardinal Angelo Scola is also seen as a strong candidate. He shares a common background with Ratzinger as founder of Catholic journal Communio, he has impressive leadership skills which he demonstrated during his time as Patriarch of Venice and has an international outlook given his position as director of Oasis journal and his frequent travels abroad. Although he has gradually distanced himself from Roman Catholic movement Communion and Liberation (in the 70’s he also had a tiff with the movement’s founder, Fr. Giusani), his background remains rooted in the movement. Crucially, however, he may not manage to gather all the Italian votes necessary to take office. There are 28 Italian cardinals making them the largest group in the Curia. It also seems highly unlikely that Bertone’s supporters will vote for Scola.

The Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi has said that the Conclave start date will be set by the cardinals themselves, during the General Congregation meetings. There are, however, very few certainties regarding the Conclave that will elect Benedict XVI’s successor. One thing is for sure though: unlike Joseph Ratzinger in 2005, this time there is no clear favourite.  Benedict XVI’s shock resignation means surprises, dramatic turns of events and unexpected alliances could all be on the cards. This situation is a reflection of Benedict XVI as a figure: As a man of the Church he is tied to tradition and yet was clearly capable of a revolutionary act. He is an integral part of the Wojtyla establishment and yet he is a stranger to power play. He is leader of the Roman Curia and yet the announcement of his resignation was one historic slap in the face to the Holy See’s governing body.If the law of pendulum can be applied to this Conclave, given that the outgoing Pope is elderly and a member of the Curia at the time of his election, this time round, cardinal electors could go for a younger and possibly foreign cardinal. In informal meetings, cardinals have mentioned the possibility of playing the Pope-Secretary of State card, that is, nominating both. This is because in the absence of a clear favourite, cardinals are aware that scandals such as Vatileaks have lessened their chances of being able to nominate a Pope directly.At the same time, however, those cardinals who are not members of the Curia do not have the power to impose a candidate and so must accept a compromise: a Roman Secretariat of State. Non- One possible combination offered by Curia outsider cardinals is U.S. Capuchin monk O’Malley (who has led the battle against paedophilia in Boston) as Pope and Angelo Becciu (current Substitute for General Affairs and former nuncio to Cuba) as Secretary of State. O’Malley taught Hispanic literature in Washington and shares Becciu’s support for Cuba’s silent Church.Alternatively, thinking of a possible Italian-Curia member combo, cardinals could go for a Pope from an Italian diocese (Scola), nominating a Sodano supporter (Sandri, who is Vatican “minister” for Eastern Churches) as Secretary of State. Failing these two options, cardinals may choose mediation candidates such as Bagnasco, Scherer (who is a member of the Vatican Bank commission and therefore familiar with the Curia and well-liked by “Romans” such as Bertone) or Canadian Ouellet who is Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and is a favourite both among Curia members and the U.S. cardinals. What cardinals will seek to avoid is to select a duo of non-diplomats. This time, at least one of the Catholic Church’s two top leaders will have to come from the diplomatic service. “Casaroli, Wojtyla’s first Secretary of State was the instigator of Ostpolitik and Ratzinger’s was canonist Bertone,” the Holy See points out.
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2013/02/pope-may-change-conclave-rules.html (MY SELECTIONS)
ALL POPE NEWS I HAVE DONE SINCE FEB 11,13
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2013/02/stock-results-feb-112013.html 

VATICAN MEDIA PLAYER 
http://www.vatican.va/video/index.html 

February 26, 2013 8:56 AM

Cardinals want to begin pope selection ASAP, Vatican source says

(CBS News) The world's cardinals want to begin the job of choosing a new pope as soon as possible, according to a well-placed Vatican source.The newest guessing game in Vatican City is how soon the conclave will begin. By both law and tradition, the cardinals can't talk openly about it until one day after Benedict officially leaves office.
Pope Benedict XVI's post-retirement name, vestments revealed
Pope Benedict XVI officially steps down Thursday.A major issue plaguing the cardinals through the selection process will be the sex abuse scandals. But they must be dealt with, in the view of U.S. Cardinal James Stafford, who is too old to vote in the conclave."If it means to be despised, which in many ways it does mean, then we accept that," Stafford told CBS News' Allen Pizzey.Faced with questions about overcoming the scandal and improving the church's image, Stafford said, "We build the image by accepting the reality that we're living in, and not being angry, and not being defensive."How the scandals may affect the choice of a new pope will never be known. The penalty for anyone involved in the conclave who breaks the oath of secrecy, including technicians and even housekeepers, used to be decided by the new pope. But in one of his final acts, Benedict changed the penalty to excommunication.It was issued almost at the same time as Cardinal Keith O'Brien took the unprecedented step of recusing himself from the conclave -- the first head to roll in the ongoing crisis over the sex-abuse scandals. A British newspaper reported that three priests and a former priest had filed a complaint with the Vatican alleging O'Brien had acted inappropriately with them. O'Brien has denied the allegations but said he was withdrawing from the voting so as to not have the focus of attention on that issue, rather than on the business of choosing the new pope.There are plenty of other challenges for the conclave, according to John Thavis, author of "The Vatican Diaries, "I think, in general, the kind of mismanagement, leaks and corruption that have come to the surface over the last few years is going to be a factor when the cardinals come to meet. And I'm sure that now that these sexual episodes have been sort of thrown into the mix. I think they're going to be looking at that as well."Those who have been in the conclave say they enter with a deep sense of responsibility and then pray for divine guidance -- something they'll need more than ever this time.For Allen Pizzey's full "CBS This Morning" report, watch the video above.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57571271/cardinals-want-to-begin-pope-selection-asap-vatican-source-says/ 

02/26/2013 VATICAN INSIDER

“Even sinners can vote for the Pope”

Mgr. Charles Scicluna

Bishop Scicluna who investigated paedophile priests says “It’s wrong to pint the finger”

GIacomo Galeazzi vatican city “It is their right to take part in the Conclave. God will fill their mouths with words that come from a humiliated and wounded heart.” The papacy that has done the most to combat the scandal of sex-abuse in the Church, adopting Joseph Ratzinger’s “zero tolerance” rule, will give those cardinals tainted by cover-up accusations the “green light” for participation in the Conclave. “Knowledge is not only given to saints but to sinners too,” Maltese bishop, Charles Scicluna, (who has been prosecutor of the in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith tribunal for ten years) explained.

I sit right for the four cardinals who have been dragged into the paedophilia scandal to vote for the next Pope?
“We are all sinners; God will make their presence in the Conclave work for the good of the Church. We should avoid pointing the finger. Even the members of the first college of apostles did not all deserve to be canonised; there are treasures to be found in clay vessels. Human fragility becomes a spectacle for the world. We cannot hand out permits. Who is worthy? In the liturgy we constantly proclaim our unworthiness. Every day in the Church we bear fitness to a holiness we would like to take part in. The curtain of silence that often covered abuse cases has finally been removed. The only guiding principle that can remedy the moral downfall of the clergy is the fact that truth sets humans free.” 

Why did these cardinals keep silent about paedophile priests?
“For fear of a scandal breaking out. What they didn’t realise was that they needed to look at the abuse from the exact opposite angle. The real scandal was not reporting the abuse. Perceptions changed: silence became a scandal. We have Ratzinger to thank for this. So we should let them take part in the Conclave. As Psalm 51, the Miserere, says: “Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. My offenses truly I know them.” Their right to participate is linked to the need to show respect for their conscience, whilst their duty to be there involves them taking on their responsibilities. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Which is the model to follow?
“The principle of purification which was central to Benedict XVI’s papacy. This links back to Gaetano da Thiene who gave his life to bring morality to the era of the Borgias and Alfonso Maria De’ Liguori and who brought saintliness to the Conclave. Unfortunately, then, like today, the sore spots are the sixth and seventh commandments: do not sin against purity and do not steal. We need to go back to the Gospel, which contains the answer to the renewal of religious life. We have just celebrated the Second Vatican Council’s 50^th anniversary: the clergy should base what they do on what Pope Ratzinger told Roman priests. The Pope’s successor will be left with the indelible legacy of the sex abuse committed by the clergy, which has left its mark on the future of the Church.”

Will Ratzinger be a factor in the Conclave?
“Whoever is elected Pope will have to continue Ratzinger’s “purification” work. Benedict XVI is not a comet that sweeps past and dies. He said so himself to his biographer Peter Seewald. It is the beginning and the end o fan era. Ratzinger is an example of freedom whom we all look up to, but he is also a leader who is able to manage fear and point the Church in the right direction. From now on, no one will be able to say they know nothing about what goes on regarding clerical sex-abuse. Benedict XVI’s determination in fighting paedophilia in the clergy will not become a distant memory or a story to be recounted. It is now a fundamental part of the Church’s response to sex-abuse. It will be part of the leadership programme of whoever is elected in the Sistine Chapel.”

What has changed?
“Now, all the tools are in place for dealing with cases of paedophilia in the clergy. Benedict XVI has equipped bishops will all that they need to prevent such cases from being repeated. His decisions demonstrated courage and his solitude will continue when he resigns. The monkhood runs deep within his blood. His words are always transparent, theologically grounded and extraordinarily inspirational to everyone. The Church has no choice but to continue its work against clerical sex-abuse: it is a universal and absolute law of the Church and the presence of a few controversial figures in the Conclave is not going to change this.” 

FEB 17,13 POPE ANGELUS

BENEDICT XVI

ANGELUS

Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 17 February 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

With the traditional Rite of Ashes last Wednesday we entered Lent, a season of conversion and penance in preparation for Easter. The Church who is mother and teacher calls all her members to renew themselves in spirit and to turn once again with determination to God, renouncing pride and selfishness, to live in love. This Year of Faith Lent is a favourable time for rediscovering faith in God as the basic criterion for our life and for the life of the Church. This always means a struggle, a spiritual combat, because the spirit of evil is naturally opposed to our sanctification and seeks to make us stray from God’s path. For this reason the Gospel of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness is proclaimed every year on the First Sunday of Lent.

Indeed, after receiving the “investiture” as Messiah — “Annointed” with the Holy Spirit at the baptism in the Jordan — Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit himself to be tempted by the devil. At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus had to unmask himself and reject the false images of the Messiah which the tempter was suggesting to him. Yet these temptations are also false images of man that threaten to ensnare our conscience, in the guise of suitable, effective and even good proposals. The Evangelists Matthew and Luke present three temptations of Jesus that differ slightly, but only in their order. Their essential core is always the exploitation of God for our own interests, giving preference to success or to material possessions. The tempter is cunning. He does not directly impel us towards evil but rather towards a false good, making us believe that the true realities are power and everything that satisfies our primary needs. In this way God becomes secondary, he is reduced to a means; in short, he becomes unreal, he no longer counts, he disappears. Ultimately, in temptation faith is at stake because God is at stake. At the crucial moments in life but also, as can be seen at every moment, we stand at a crossroads: do we want to follow our own ego or God? Our individual interests or the true Good, to follow what is really good?

As the Fathers of the Church teach us, the temptations are part of Jesus’ “descent” into our human condition, into the abyss of sin and its consequences; a “descent” that Jesus made to the end, even to death on the Cross and to the hell of extreme remoteness from God. In this way he is the hand that God stretches out to man, to the lost sheep, to bring him back to safety. As St Augustine teaches, Jesus took the temptations from us to give us his victory (cf. Enarr. in Psalmos, 60, 3: pl 36, 724).

Therefore let us not be afraid either of facing the battle against the spirit of evil: the important thing is to fight it with him, with Christ, the Conqueror. And to be with him let us turn to his Mother, Mary; let us call on her with filial trust in the hour of trial and she will make us feel the powerful presence of her divine Son, so that we can reject temptations with Christ’s word and thus put God back at the centre of our life.

---

After the Angelus:

I thank you all! I greet all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims present for today’s Angelus. Today we contemplate Christ in the desert, fasting, praying, and being tempted. As we begin our Lenten journey, we join him and we ask him to give us strength to fight our weaknesses. Let me also thank you for the prayers and support you have shown me in these days. May God bless all of you!

I wish you all a good Sunday and a good Lenten journey. The week of the Spiritual Exercises begins this evening: let us remain united in prayer. I wish everyone a good week. Many thanks! 
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/angelus/2013/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20130217_en.html