G'Day From Downunder

How are you doing? Did the mother-in-law drop in to see you last week?

Pope Benedict XVI is the first pope to resign since pope Celestine V resigned way back in 1294. The question I am asking here is why did he resign?

The official reason given was, failing health and that he no longer had the "strength of mind and body" required by a fast changing world.

I just cannot believe that the official reason given to the world's Catholics is the true story.

No, I am not trying to be an alarmist or an instigator of a conspiracy theory, but with so much dirty washing hanging out to dry within the Vatican walls and not a spin dryer in sight one has to ask again WHY did Pope Benedict resign.

His job was not like any other job such as the head of The Ford Motor Company or the likes, no his was much more than that.

Many popes before him were in failing health and stayed at the helm until death so what, or who, pushed this man to break a 700-year tradition of ruling to death.

As I previously said, other popes have had health issues and continued to sit on the throne and other popes have had to cope with a fast changing world.

Dare I question the supposed truths that come from the Vatican? Why shouldn't I? All I seek is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Therefore, what is the real story? Will we ever be told the truth?

History has proven that the truth will only be known when you and I are well rotten in our graves just like the rotten fruits in the Vatican that are causing so much pain to Catholics all round the world.

Will that leave the Charley Brady's of this world and I to be the ones who will have to continue to poke the Vatican for the truth on your behalf?

They who think they are closer to God are not telling us anything else at this time, so let us look at the dirty washing whilst it's still hanging out.

All alleged as of yet of course, but where there it smoke there is fire.

First up, here we go again with the same old story of the Vatican and money laundering, a bad smell that has hung around since the time of Pope John Paul I known as the smiling pope (1978).

Those of you who have been around for a while will recall John Paul had ordered an investigation into the Vatican Bank and it's President, Bishop Paul Marcinkus who was known as God's banker.

The investigation uncovered money laundering of Mafia money and the fallout of that were many mysterious deaths and murders.

Looks like the same old song is being sung over again and nothing has changed; let's see what the fallout of this will bring this time round.

John Paul I never did get to retire; he was found dead by Fr Magee, or was it Sister Vincenza they could never get their stories to match up - maybe it was neither.

To muddy the waters even more there was no autopsy so we will never really know that truth either.

Even more scandal: It is alleged an English Cardinal who was due to be voting in the conclave for a new pope had an inappropriate relationship with four priests and has stood down recently.

The church also has the stolen or leaked papers from the Vatican to contend with - that's more dirty washing than a laundry could cope with on the busiest day of the year.

Talk about shooting one's self in the foot, I don't think the church could do any more damage to itself it tried, yes it could.

Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the late Archbishop of Milan, in an interview for an Australian newspaper The Herald Sun, stated that, "he was a soldier who recognised the scourge of sex abuse, the mistakes of the church and the path it had to take to regain the faith of its dwindling congregations."

The paedophilia scandals he said before his death last year, "oblige us to take a journey of transformation" unquote.

God only knows how many more skeleton are hiding in the dark dungeons of sin clouded by the sinister and ruthless that lurk there, those who bring shame on the church of Christ.

The truth of the pope's retirement is lost somewhere in all those distractions, or maybe he is being silenced by those who have the most to lose.

Whatever the reason for Benedict's departure it will never see the light of day in your or my lifetimes.

This historical matter should get full scrutiny as it has an effect on millions of the faithful all round the world.

Looking at what has happened within the church in recent times, it needs to come clean on all matters to restore the faithful's thrust in it - that is if it's not too late already.

I said some time back in another article that maybe it's time for J.C. to pay us another visit to clean up the massive damage his disciples in outdated regalia have caused, the very ones who should be upholding his name.

It all went well in the Cisteen Chapel where they had a good chat and a few drinks together with a back slapping session and now we have two popes.

Somehow I feel like I have growing another finger on my typing hand and I think that's how I feel about having two popes.

Will they be able to agree as to who gets the pair of red slippers or will they have a pair each or will the new pope have first choice?

What happens when they meet in the supermarket while doing the weekly shopping?

Will they both be wearing white or should one wear red and the other white and which one should wear which.

It's all going to get very confusing. What would happen if the new pope got sick for a while, would Benedict then be brought on as a substitute until the new pope recovered?

And what if the new pope passed away and went to heaven before Benedict? Would Benedict be reinstated in the interim? Would God see the new pope as jumping the queue?

In the future could we have twins who become twin popes, as we are living in a changing world why not?

I suppose Benedict will now have to change all his credit cards his bank account and his frequent flyers to his new name "Roman pontiff emeritus".

He will have to be careful when he turns up at the airport when flying, because he could be mistaken for an imposter as we are suppose to have only one pope... or are we?

What would happen if an Irish Pope had been chosen? Boy, oh Boy, wouldn't that be a cracker?

Talk about a great day for the Irish, he would probably introduce an extra St Patrick's Day for us.

Yes two St Patrick's Days each year; why not, we have two popes?

Ah, go away out of that boy, you must be joking, what priest would give up the good life of Ireland for a dingy old office job in the Vatican?

I can see its going to take this old dog a long time to learn how to come to grips with this new phenomenon.

I hope you all had a safe and wonderful St Patrick's day and it rained Guinness on the parade.

I am off to New Zealand until the second week of April, I will then be reporting in with some tales of my trip.

Until I talk to you again, be good to those who love you and Slainte from Downunder.

You can catch me at mbowen@afsvic.com.au