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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   313 thread views

Transnational Thursday for October 15, 2026

Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.

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They should try electing a young Pope one of these times. Like, someone in his fifties.

There were two papabile in their fifties in the last conclave. One was too radical to get elected and the other was too involved in secular politics.

John Paul II was 58 when elected. One of the longest ruling popes on record. Not everybody would like that - it's one thing if you don't like him and he's gone in 5 years, and another thing if it's over 25 years.

Has anyone ever suggested putting a term limit on the pope? It seems like a real problem for the institution that they're almost always old men near the end of their life.

You mean Jude Law.

I don't think electing the Pope is this similar to electing the president of Ukraine.

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