‘The Only Person in the World Claiming to Be the Pope Right Now'
Of all the contenders to be the next pope, Danny Kind might not be an obvious choice. His shaggy hair is tinted green, and the other day he was wearing a Korn T-shirt under his ceremonial robes.
'I'm an Ashkenazi Jew from Orlando, so I'm not very Catholic,' he said. There's also that.
None of this is disqualifying in a class at the University of Chicago called 'The Italian Renaissance: Dante, Machiavelli, and the Wars of Popes and Kings,' better known by students as 'pope class' or 'pope LARP' (as in live-action role play). The centerpiece of the class is a simulation of the conclave of 1492, an historical gathering rife with accusations of scandal and corruption.
This is the 15th year since Prof. Ada Palmer began running the simulation, but the first time that it has been interrupted by the death of an actual pope. Pope Francis died on April 21, the same day that the students were set to vote in their own conclave.
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‘And Just Like That' Season 3 Opens With Miranda Sleeping With A Virgin Nun Named Mary — Played By Rosie O'Donnell!
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The Ritual hits most of the generic exorcism horror plot beats in retelling Schmidt's story, with Schmidt exhibiting an aversion to holy objects, spewing blasphemy, experiencing fits of violent rage, vomiting bile, and clinging to walls in an inhuman fashion, among other demonic behaviors. In real life, Schmidt's exorcism was one of the last officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church, a fact that seems to have contributed to its infamy. As the movie alludes to, Schmidt, who was born in 1882, began showing signs of what was deemed to be possession starting at the age of 14. The issues began after Schmidt was subjected to abuse at the hands of her father, who allegedly took a sexual interest in her, and her Aunt Mina, who was reportedly her father's lover, a child murderer, and also a witch "who had placed a spell on some herbs which she placed among the girl's food." 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8 hours ago
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Catholic group calls out Tim Cook, Apple TV+ for show's 'Eucharistic desecration'
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