My YouTube feed seems to be a frenzy rife with clickbaits & conspiracies re the Conclave & Cardinal TAGLE [View all]

[UTUSN]

Obviously, there are some fairly objective journalistic types pointing out that there are factions of Progressive vs Wingnut candidates in the competition. But there seems to be a flurry concentrated on TAGLE, some favorable about his being a protege of Francis and possessing personal qualities of kindness and relatability and connections to the under-served, some negative re his rapid career rise.

Some of the most unfavorable seem to come from ETWN, the Wingnut factions that branch out into conspiracy theorizing. There's the ever popular Nostradamus, who "is said" to have fit Francis and TAGLE into the mix of "a man from the East, dressed in red, in a time of global fear and unrest." The more I see about TAGLE the more I'm inclined toward him, so my jinx talent is that it won't be him.

A couple of conspiracy theories are that Francis was sped on the way to kicking it because a hospital doctor O.K.ed his discharge too soon, her being a woman now disappeared into secrecy. Uh, the man was very advanced in age, how long do they demand that he was to live, especially with a history of bad medical conditions? And the Secretary of State frontrunner recently had a medical emergency sort of ruling him out by the clickbaits for being expected to kick it soon, plus being named Peter, who "is said" to fit the prophecy of the Middle Ages mystic, who said that the last pope would be "Peter of Rome." But another contender is also named Peter, who is from Guinea and might also become "Peter of Rome," and it might just be me but this seems to be a racist code attempting to rule out a Black cardinal.

*** I'm Lapsed, so don't matter, but obviously favor having a Lib, my only one being John XXIII, who opened things up more than the ones who came after - O.K.ing the languages besides Latin, turning the altar around to face the people, loosening up the dietary restrictions, generally being more relatable. So it's been only his five years of near liberality out of my 78 years. Although Pius XII for my first ten years set my mark for what a pope should look like, and I don't want to get into the allegations - pro and con - about collaboration. It's like today all "heroes" have been toppled by exposure in YouTubes of their human frailties of their times - FDR, everybody. Am not going to get into tangents about others, am just struck by the frenzy on the conclave, and how our public discourse is an anthill war from all sides.

Here's my collection of John XXIII medals culled from eBay and such, and I wear one with my dog tag and Mati eye.