Dear Fred,
The United Nations is a democratic body comprised mainly of democratic countries BUT its Security Council secures the right of some nations to be "more equal than others" just as in George Orwell's "Animal Farm".
The catholic church is a hierarchy [ not a democracy]. Just because the College of Cardinals gets to vote, let us not mistake it for a democracy. It never was; it is not likely to be. All this discussion is hogwash.
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From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote
DEMOCRACY AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Cardinal's secretary AUSTEN IVEREIGH calls for electoral reform in the Vatican.
http://venus.opendemocracy.net/t/1855/38812/444/0/
--Informed insider (1,500 words)
MICHAEL WALSH wants Catholics to reclaim their church from the Vatican's stifling influence.
http://venus.opendemocracy.net/t/1855/38812/445/0/
--This way to democracy? (1,000)
Cardinal Arns of Brazil talks to LAURA GREENHALGH of Pope John Paul II and
how the Vatican bureaucracy gets its way.
http://venus.opendemocracy.net/t/1855/38812/446/0/
--Family portrait (2000 words)
Join our debate on Democracy in the Catholic Church
http://venus.opendemocracy.net/t/1855/38812/440/0/
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Let us get down on our knees and pray that the good Lord guides the cardinals to make a right decision. EWTN channel has been showing how the electoral decisions have been made in the past, right from the the days that Papacy was created by the Bishop of Rome and St.Peter was declared the first Pope with retrospective effect, posthumously. The office of the Pope is the creation of Emperor Constantine after he entered Rome...or the Bishop of Rome in his days. That the crosses painted on the shields of the Constantine's soldiers during the capture of Rome inspired Ramesh Deo and Flaviano Dias while making the infamous VCD "Goa Freedom Struggle" is another matter. Parrikar, in the meanwhile, is thanking Pope John Paul-II for an apology that he DID NOT MAKE. St. Peter may have been the fisherman but every petty politician is fishing on the death of his deemed successor recently. I would not be surprised if the Congress in Goa makes a VCD on the Pope to draw votes away from the BJP. Yeh hai democracy!
Viva Goa.
Miguel
