Photo: Filippo Monteforte AFP/Getty Images
This extraordinary photo of lightning striking St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican was taken just hours after Pope Benedict announced that he will step down as leader of the Catholic Church on February 28. Usually a Pope’s reign ends upon his death, thus an early resignation has not happened for 600 years.
So what does the lightning strike mean?
The UK Daily Mail asked in their photo caption if this strike was a “Signal From Above? Which leads me to ask, if so, what kind of signal?
Is the Almighty pleased that Pope Benedict had the courage to resign, or not so pleased?
Here is your chance to weigh in on this important question by submitting captions that are both respectful and appropriate, and I mean it!
(My husband is Catholic, works for an international Catholic ministry and his boss just recently met with the Pope, so this is BIG news around our dinner table.)
R- E- S- P- E- C- T, oh what it means to me! Got it?
Besides, the subject of this contest provides a nice break from beating up on you know who. Of course the same rules apply, “be nice and stay classy because the media is watching.”
Now, for any newcomers (and old timers who need a refresher) here again are winners from our last contest as examples of those who played by the rules and were rewarded with honor and glory.
Good luck and may the (lightning) force be with you!
Clearly Storm from the X-Men wants to be eligible….
If only somebody here knew shorthand we’d know who to elect as Pope.
If there was somebody here who knew shorthand we’d know who to elect as Pope,
Medammit, I had after Easter in the office pool.
Supporter’s message decoded:”Four more years!”.
May I have your attention, please. Just a reminder, guys… I’m still in charge. — God
Nobody steals the spotlight from Barack Obama.
Get it right this time!
1 – (ring..ring) Hello? One second please. Pontiff it’s for you!
2 – The Bat-phone has nothing on this emergency line.
(note 3 distinct bolts within one lightning strike)
3 – Today’s announcement sponsored by The Holy Trinity.
“Here’s looking at you kid.”
“Gooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!”
“Special Delivery!”
“Knock, knock.”
“Ahem.”
“Sic Mundi Gloria Circuit Breaker.”
“Te Deum, please.”
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
+1 Nice.
“Now that I see this picture, I realize that I shouldn’t have let myself get so upset over another old white guy giving up on the world I’m transforming.” B. Obama
Vatican 2 – Electric Boogaloo!
Pope: “Beam me up Lord! I’ve done all I can do down here!”
And the Ozarks thinks they know how to make [White Lighting]
Check this out.
Did I hear somebody say,? [Send me a sign]
“Scotty, I didn’t mean for you to beam me up just yet!”
“Okay, we promise to strip Lance Armstrong of his Giro d’Italia title!”
The Vatican goes green, converting to cosmic electromagnetic power.
“Alright, who’s the wise guy who put the lightning rod on St. Peter?”
“Okay, we get the message! No more scandals!”
It’ my way of saying, thank’s [Pope Benedict], You did an electrifying performance.
Hotel Heaven,this is your wake up call Sir.
St. Malachy makes his point. Next up Peter.
I would have lit up the Super Bowl, but the only thing they were praying for was a win.
1) G*d: Yo! Hey! Pay attention! What are you doing? I wasn’t talking to YOU! I was telling that dummy leading AMERICA that he should resign. Take it back!
2) The Pope’s resignation caused even St. Peter a huge shock.
3) G*d: Hey, you know what would be a fun prank? I bet if I drop a thunderbolt on St. Peter’s Basilica just after the Pope announces he’s resigning, everyone will run around for weeks asking each other what it means.
“I built that,… and everything else”
“I could hand out Iphones, but texting is so impersonal”
“A late vote for Ave Maria as song of the year”
“No, THIS is an exclamation point”
“I go skeet shooting all the time too”
“The medium IS the message”
These are great!
So that’s where the smoke comes from.
There’s a zap for that.
I made a mistake when I entered this comment. I composed things in a Word Document and then paste them in. In doing so I left out the first half. I intended it to go as follows:
“Choosing a new Pope? There’s a zap for that.”
Who knew the Pope Mobile came with the flux-capacitor option?
I’m sending a jolt of [Energizer],for that cute little bunny with the drum,
So he can keep going–going– and going.
Just thought I would touch base with you, to let you know I’m still in [charge]!
Electronic message for the Pope, [It came as a shock that you are stepping down,
thanks for the miracles.] Talk to you later.
God leaves a thunder voicemail and a lightning text: “Good evening, my children, it’s God calling. We seem to have become disconnected. Let’s hope you do a better job on this election than you have with some of your most recent ones. I gave you free will. Try to keep it. Especially from those who mean to take it…and Me out of your lives.”
“Sorry, wrong number. I was looking for Kathleen Sebelius”
“Can you hear ME now?”
“A reminder from the Real Illuminati, decode this.”
“Some of you pray in My Name, this is for the others who think my last name is Dammet”
“When a government robs Peter to pay Paul, Paul gets the type of voters who need this kind of reminder that I am still watching over Peter”
“Upon this build, I will rock this church”
While the Pope takes a break, I’ll relive his post, [ For heavens sake.]
I just took charge of the Vatican’s electric light bill.
“So many of you are texting and tweeting, you are constantly looking down. Here’s a reminder to look up once in a while”
“I watch and listen as you debate eliminating life from babies as I create it, eliminating MY name from the mouths of your children in schools, eliminating ME from your governments. I would like to take this moment for rebuttal.”
“Just showing that Mr. Gore fellow a little about recycling energy into a vehicle that is worthy of it. However, I hope they don’t nickname it Pope Prius XIII.”
“No, Mr. Obama…they have ME”
St Malachy read what he says
“Give them one ping, and one ping only”
“Who let Obama in the building?”
This was sent to my private email from a friend who would like to remain anonymous.
ding,ding,ding! winner. but i do question the legitimacy of an entry in this manner. but damn thats good.
Retirement? Yeah, I don’t think so…
[Voice from the heavens] I said strike the White House, they are the ones that need a wake up call.