Survivor: Sistine Chapel!

After finally watching Survivor for the first time, beginning with Season 20 - Heroes vs. Villains, I became an instant fan.  Since then, I have watched every episode of every season - and they're about to begin Season 26.  In between seasons, I have been trying to play catch-up.  I have seen Seasons 1-3 and 9-13, and I've loved every minute.  Sure, it's reasonable to ask whether it is an appropriate thing for a practicing Catholic to watch.  The players aren't dressed modestly, though that's to be expected since it often takes place in the tropics, and in all honesty, the game is pretty grungy rather than sultry.  Yes, there is a lot of back-biting and a gratuitous lack of charity displayed on each and every episode, but there are also players who practice heroic virtue.  The latter play with honesty, loyalty, and an impressive integrity that seems improbable if one hopes to win the game.  Indeed, it is rare that the winner has made it to the top without being at least a bit deceptive.  It begs the question... since it's a game, is it ok to play within a game that has rules which allow for deception?  I tend to fall in line with those who think it's generally ok.  The principle of mental reservation seems to come into play, where it's ok to speak something other than the truth if it is to be assumed that you very well are not speaking the truth (ie. the telemarketer asks if your spouse is there and you say she is not... even though she is - or - you tell your captors in war that you don't know where your fellow patrolmen are).  In the end, Survivor is just a game.  There are many kinds of games that involve different kinds of deception.  This one seems more obvious, but again, it's still a game, and for the record, the jury does a nice job of hammering on the deceivers!  More often than not, the just approach is glorified, and even better, it's not infrequent to see tribes band together in Christian prayer.

Having said all the above, and in light of today's shocking announcement of a Feb. 28 voluntary vacancy of the See of Peter by Pope Benedict XVI, it seemed to me that a fun way of getting to know the papabile, or most likely candidates to be chosen as the next Pope, would be to incorporate my love of Survivor and use these next few weeks to teach a bit about each of the 118 cardinal electors and widdle them down to a small group based on their various qualifications - perhaps coming down to the one I feel might be chosen.  I'll use information that comes directly from the Vatican website and throw in my own two cents in making decisions.  I want to be clear on a few points though, before I begin:

1.  The Holy Spirit will choose the next Pope through the prayerful votes of the cardinal electors themselves, and the Holy Spirit can choose any baptized male who is eligible to be Pope... reasons given here be damned.

2.  I am not mocking the serious nature of a papal conclave.  As a devout Catholic, I will be praying for our current Holy Father, for the cardinals, and for the future Holy Father with great expectancy.

3.  This is an opportunity to learn who the cardinals are, how gifted they are, and how the Church is currently shaped and influenced by various people in diverse cultures.

Without further delay, I say we milk this rare moment for what it's worth, and I hereby announce a new edition of Survivor...

SURVIVOR: SISTINE CHAPEL!

Kudos to whoever made this image.  It's nearly a perfect fit!