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Oct 2020
8:23am, 21 Oct 2020
47,120 posts
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McGoohan
A question, and this is maybe something I've missed in the book (as I was reading so fast).
Isn't there supposed to be a test where a proposed new pope sits on a chair with a hole cut out and some cardinal has a bit of a butchers to confirm that yes, the holy father a holy father and not a holy mother? Or is that a myth?
Or is it implied that Lomeli will give that assurance to the conclave?
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Oct 2020
8:23am, 21 Oct 2020
12,923 posts
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Badger
it wasnt properly explained ( I dont think anyway) why the decision went the way of Benitez when he asked people to vote for Lomelli
I felt it was implied that that was partly from that being taken as humility in his part, where what Lomelli had done was arrogant even if it revealed things everyone needed to know, and partly that there were losers in the race who would have been thinking Benitez would be much easier to manipulate than Lomelli would. I took that from the part where he offers Lomelli the same post he’d had under the previous pope, and Lomelli points out it’s too early to offer posts right left and centre.
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Oct 2020
8:24am, 21 Oct 2020
54,036 posts
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Diogenes
I'm being like Snoopy on this one, I haven't read the book but I've read the reviews.
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Oct 2020
7:40pm, 21 Oct 2020
12,925 posts
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Badger
Ecclesiastical myth, McG!
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Oct 2020
7:57pm, 21 Oct 2020
47,132 posts
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McGoohan
Ah, fair enough.
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Oct 2020
9:37pm, 21 Oct 2020
20,405 posts
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Columba
I had heard the same thing, McG, and was under the impression that it used to be done (but perhaps no longer); but I bow to Badger's superior knowledge. It was supposed to have been done after Pope Joan, but I think she was a myth, too.
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Oct 2020
8:12am, 26 Oct 2020
4,448 posts
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westmoors
Finished this yesterday. Having been brought up as a Catholic (but now consider myself an atheist) I found it quite interesting. However, I guessed the election result very early on which was disappointing. I had hoped I would be wrong.
Still gave it an 8 as it was very readable.
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Nov 2020
6:25pm, 28 Nov 2020
11,447 posts
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Little Nemo
An easy read and an interesting subject as I don't know much about the Pope and Catholicism. I liked the setup of the candidates being eliminated one by one and the first half to two thirds were good fun. I do like Harris's style of writing, unfussy and zips along.
There were some problems though. I felt the author didn't want to be too critical of the church so I felt he shied away from some of the recent scandals. Also I guessed as soon as Benitez was introduced that he would end up being Pope so that was predictable. But I didn't find it believable that he would have been elected when no one knew anything about him. My interest had waned towards the end as it got a bit repetitive so the reveal of his gender (sex?) just made me roll my eyes.
The book was OK but disappointing in comparison with Fatherland and Enigma. I gave it a 6 and it hasn't put me off trying some more of his books.
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Nov 2020
9:09pm, 28 Nov 2020
20,566 posts
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Columba
The present pope (Francis) was elected when not many people knew much about him. But yes, I take your point; no-one had even known Benitez was a cardinal until he turned up.
I too wondered why (when Nasty Secrets were being dug up) none of them included child abuse. Too near the bone, perhaps. Or just too obvious.
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Nov 2020
10:03pm, 28 Nov 2020
11,464 posts
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Little Nemo
I wondered if it was because the author had spoken with Catholics about how the Conclave worked for research and felt constrained? I guess it's easier writing abut things that aren't current, not so much risk of offending people.
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Book Group
Mar 2025