What it would be like if the Pope died and the re-electing rules were changed….
What would become of this earth if Pope John Paul II perished? Sure, they’d just re-elect another Pope. They’d go through the Cardinals (the highest priests under the Pope) and vote for a new Pope. It’s a process that usually takes about two weeks. That would be the standard way of finding a new ruler of the Catholic Church. But, imagine if they did it a much more disorganized way? It’s a new millenium and everyone is open to new suggestions. Maybe my next door neighbor wants to have a chance at being Pope some day. Hey, maybe even I’d like to be the Pope some day! I could be the first woman Pope! Oooooooh, scandalous! But seriously, wouldn’t it be interesting if they changed their ways slightly? Let’s do this hypothetically speaking:
Today, the Pope is out, mingling with the common folk, when a crazed madman comes up and shoots him in the head. Of course, the Pope dies upon contact. The world mourns his death. But, out in Rome, at the Vatican, heads are put together. Important Vatican working men and women sit at their computers perfecting flawless “Now Hiring” posters! For the next few days, resumes and applications arrive by the truck full. The same workers who made the posters look through the countless application forms and select an elite few who will be interviewed for the position as “Pope”. Those few are flown to Rome, bused to the Vatican and are interviewed by the workers. After much deliberation, one Pope is chosen. He, or she, is probably not a very religious person, is probably an alcoholic and an illicit drug-taker, has illegitimate children scattered across North America and worked at Wal-Mart part-time to pay for his, or her, frequent visits to the porn shops. But now, that person is the Pope. Imagine the possibilities! Imagine what the world would come to! People would praise down to this crazed Pope. If he, or she, told them all to watch porn on Sunday nights, they would. If he, or she, said that drinking vodka would make them one with God, they would drink vodka. Babies would be given bottles of pure vodka as baptism rights! Wal-Mart would become a place of worship, where people would pray to the cheap jewelry and huge toasters. Unsafe sex would reign and babies would pop out everywhere. Chaos would prevail!
Maybe we shouldn’t hope death upon Pope John Paul II. Imagine the anarchy that would take place if the big wigs up at the Vatican decided to change the rules a little!