[Nigel Mace]

Excellent thought, Douglas - and we need not wait upon the setters, need we? As it is also a 500th anniversary of huge literary and political significance here (the Scottish and the Italian end of my life).... just maybe I might have something cooking. We'll see.

[Douglas G. Brown]

Time to brush up on our Machiavelli, I'd guess.

[RCL]

Papa! Papa!

The pope is a trope:
pontiff and il papa
pontificating hope.

The faithful’s dope
when there’s just one;
with two, it’s one pope

over the line…
Sweet Jesus!

[Jerome Betts]

The Church awaits the last burnt slip
From where the red-caps vote, most hoping
They choose a cardinal whose grip
Is firm enough to stop the groping.

[Seree Zohar]

brill! absolutely!

[Brian Allgar]

Religion’s really had its day
As Popes find dubious fame.
It’s time to brush cobwebs away,
And take a fitting name.

I’m only in it for the pelf,
And God may do his worst.
I therefore choose to call myself
“Pope Impius the First”

[Brian Allgar]

So that’s it, then - the Pope’s a Jesuit.
You’ll say, among those shits, what’s one more shit?
But don’t they realize, those stupid geezers,
He would have excommunicated Jesus?

[Paul Dickey]

At the Pope’s retirement party,
all the Saints and I sipped hearty,
dropped the name of God,
found Copernicus odd,.
and kicked out Galileo, the smarty!

[Chris O'Carroll]

A Jesuit Pope, goodness gracious!
And the name he chose isn’t “Ignatius”!
. . .But most likely the saint
. . .He has glommed onto ain’t
“Of Assisi” but “X” -- less audacious.

[Paul Dickey]

Who’d believe a Pope would resign?
But it brings up a thing with the wine.
Can he take some with him
to drink on a whim
with the nuns he has over to dine?