The question is, has the USA taken over the Vatican?

@sstronaut Yeah that's my view as well, elevating an American cardinal who has openly taken a stance against the administration is definitely a political maneuver that will likely get them influence in the country (more than the opposite direction). He can criticize Trump, and do it not only as the pope (with all the accompanying media coverage), but also and firstly as an U.S. citizen.

@sarabee1995

It's pretty bad, judging from the string of mayors they've had there.

And you're right... west of Worcester,
it just gets worster and worster. 🤭

@Thinkerbell Especially that greater NYC area 😉

@Thinkerbell 🤣🤣🤣

@Northwest "STOP THE CONCLAVE!"

@swirlie No, and I don't see how this is surprising, since this is mostly how people talk about Nazis today. If there are a group of people marching with swastika flags, everyone recognizes them as Neo-Nazis. Nobody says that doesn't count because they aren't old enough to have been members of the NSDAP.

@BohoBabe
That's because they don't know what they're talking about. If they knew, then they wouldn't be called "Nazis".

@swirlie So look, if your view is that words and language don't evolve, sure, you can say there are no Neo-Nazis, there was only one group of Nazis and they were the members of a political party that doesn't exist anymore. But my view is that words change and evolve with time based on utility. We have this enormous movement of Conservatives in America and Europe whose politics is basically the NSDAP updated for modern times. To me, it serves a big utilitarian purpose to call these people Nazis or at least Neo-Nazis.

Bee tee dubs, it's the same thing with the term "Fascism." The only major political movement to call themselves Fascists was Mussolini's PNF. The Nazis, the Showa Statists, Franco, Salazar, they never called themselves Fascists. But for the sake of utility, I recognize all of those movements as fascist. Same goes for modern movements like MAGA, parties like the AfD, and dictators like Putin.

@SomeMichGuy Well:

@Elessar DAMN! Already here!

Wait a minute...those are vestments...hmmm

@SW-User Well, Francis was technically an American pope too :P

@trollslayer That's what I've been reading too 🤞🏻

Could help having another influential American on the world stage I suppose, as a counterbalance to Trump

@swirlie imagine if they elected a black or asian pope!

@trollslayer
The 49th Pope was Black but was the only non-Caucasian Cardinal to become Pope.

@jshm2 Doesn't seem the case to me