Papal Thought Of The Day

The first ballot is done, and I wasn't able to pull two-thirds so the smoke was black rising from the Sistine Chapel.

I was reading about the rules of the conclave and came across a little tidbit I find kind of funny. The Cardinals and the staff at the Vatican take an oath of secrecy to ensure they reveal nothing of the conversations or process of the election of the new Pope. And the penalty for breaking the oath?

Excommunication.

So I'm thinking "Wow, excommunication for a little leak to the press. But raping children or helping to protect child rapists gets you moved to a different, often cushier, post in the church. And you get to keep your pope-voting privileges."

And people ask me why I hate religion....