Pope Benedict XVI (Forbes Most Powerful Person in the World #5)

Forbes ^ | 11/2010

[markomalley]

• Age: 83
• Title: Pope
• Organization: Roman Catholic Church
• Residence: Vatican City
• Country of citizenship: Germany
• Marital Status: Single

Powerful People: November 2010

Highest earthly authority for 1.1 billion souls, or one-sixth of world's population. Staunch traditionalist deplores secularism, consumerism and moral relativism, unbending on birth control, gay marriage and ordination of female priests. Despite major gaffes (including lifting the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying Bishop and quoting a 14th-century source that declared the only new things the prophet Mohammed brought were "evil and inhuman"), appears genuinely interested in healing old wounds. In September, not only became the first Pope to visit Westminster Abbey since the Protestant Reformation, but also shook hands with a clergywoman (another first). Widening sexual abuse scandal could undermine moral authority, but increasingly willing to tackle issue head on: "Forgiveness does not substitute for justice." Stylish: Has brought back traditional red, custom-made "pope shoes" and old-school Ecclesiastical headgear.

[markomalley]

If anybody's interested, Forbes has the following people beating the Holy Father:

#1 Hu Jintao

#2 Barack Obama

#3 Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud

#4 Vladimir Putin

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Angela Merkel

#7 David Cameron

#8 Ben Bernanke

#9 Sonia Gandhi

#10 Bill Gates

[pnh102]

... and quoting a 14th-century source that declared the only new things the prophet Mohammed brought were "evil and inhuman"

It is not a gaffe if it is true.

[NewCenturions]

Interesting that the first 4 names are EVIL guys!

[tal hajus]

Cannot believe the man isn’t # 1. Love, LOVE the man who stands behind what he believes, and I’m a gay atheist.

[OpusatFR]

Well, somebody has to take the flack and stand in the breech, and it happens to be the guy without the standing army.

[Salvation]

The Pope should be number one in my judgment.

Was this made on the number of people the individual might influence?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thank you.

"An honest man is the noblest work of God."

[tal hajus]

Yes ma’am, thank you ma’am.

[mas cerveza por favor]

#2 Barack Obama

Where is George Soros? This list ignores the financiers who put Obama in place. These will remain long after Obama has been replaced.