Sister Joan Chittister for Pope!

So now you see plainly -- I've really gone off the deep end -- or perhaps I have gained some sanity. But with so much news coverage these days pointing to this...

I'm feeling rather put off by all the hype. Especially since I suspect the cardinals will ensure that the Church continues along in its present narrow ways of thinking rather than engaging with the world and all its people (including the female 50%). I just hope the Holy Spirit proves that suspicion wrong!!

Instead of pope hype, I find I'm much more interested in this kind of thinking...

My girlfriend and I have been reading In Search of Belief, a book in which Joan Chittister looks at the Creed and delves into its meaning. Sister Joan is an intelligent, practical person, one who is strong in her faith and wise about its deepest meaning being more than definitions created by an all-male hierarchy. She speaks to my heart more than Pope Benedict ever could. 

In the tradition of the Church, the pope-elect is not required to be a cardinal (though he probably will be.) Popes can be chosen from among people outside the Sistine Chapel, too. If I could choose the next pope, I'd pick someone with Joan's inclusive outlook on life. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a pope who hasn't lived in an ivory tower for ages and ages???