What possible reason could he win it for?
How big a controversy would it cause?
I can’t think of any reason for him to win it at this time. (But I don’t see why Obama was given the award when he had been in office for a mere nine months without actually doing anything specific to promoting peace.)
Aside from some major surprise and minor grumbling, there was not much of a reaction Obama’s selection.
Pope Francis would probably get the same reaction. It is a private fund that can give its money to anyone it chooses.
Well, Obama got one for not being Bush. Since the Pope isn’t Bush either he already qualifies. 
They don’t seem to need much of a reason to hand Peace Prizes out.
Eh, not much of one. Not after some of the other people they’ve handed the Prize out to.
You tell us. You’re the one who’s proposing it.
The pope is very popular. I doubt it would cause much controversy, especially since pose are generally in favor of peace.
After his latest pronouncements, I think it would be more interesting if they awarded him the Nobel in economics.
As I noted in the Pit thread, he didn’t say anything that the other popes in the last 5 decades didn’t say. They didn’t get the Nobel Prize in Economics, so I see no reason to think this pope would get one.
Of course, usually you have to actually do some economic research to get the Noble Prize, so yeah, I’d find it “interesting” if this pope received it. And by “interesting”, I mean WTF???
I’m generally not a fan of the Catholic church, but I’d be in favour of him getting the Nobel peace prize. With the single exception of the new rule about disclosing church secrets, every other time I’ve seen him in the news it’s been because he’s been doing something nice - whether it’s letting a girl into that apostle ritual for the first time or because he gave a blessing to a guide dog.
I think Economics is extremely unlikely. It’s a prize for research and not social-improvement
Mohammed Yunus won the Peace not the Economics prize for his work using microfinance to bring people out of poverty.
Missed the edit window… What I would find most interesting is if he got the Nobel Prize for Biology for his position on abortion and birth contra;l.
First this guyneeds to win the Nobel prize for physics
Would Frank give 10 per cent of the boodle to the church?
Probably more, if the wretched poor don’t get their grubby hands on it first.
He’s taken a vow of poverty, so I really doubt he’s going to buy himself a fluorescent green Lamborghini supercar with big papa decals, a souped up engine and tricked-out rims.
Please, what has PF done? He’s suggested ideas that the RCC be more “open” to gays & lesbians. He hasn’t mentioned cross dressers or sex change operations yet.
He really hasn’t done anything. If he said that if any catholic priest allows any type of gay-bashing, refuses marriage to them, or shows no compassions for them in time of need, then they will be defrocked, THAT might be something. But I don’t see what he’s done so far.
Um… they have to refuse marriage to anyone, they are big on celibacy.
The gay/lesbian stuff has been fairly minor (although considering the last Pope, the statement “let’s not be such dicks to homosexuals” already constitutes a major change in the Church).
PF’s big thing seems to be a bigger focus on the poor and wretched, and not necessarily the Catholic poor and wretched either (witness his foot-washing of a couple of Muslim prisoners last Eastertide). He is likely responsible for kicking Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst out of his fancy crash pad (stories that it will become a homeless shelter/soup kitchen are unconfirmed) and he’s decried the effect of capitalism on the poor. He’s also apparently trying to root out Mafia corruption in the Church according to some stories.
So while the Church is still the Church and it’s still early days for whatever reforms PF is attempting to achieve, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see him get the Nobel Peace Prize at some point if he continues on in this vein.
Why not? As was noted, Obama got his for doing (essentially) nothing.
At least Francis has made some positive changes in the Church. What did Obama do?
Well, he was a nicer person than Henry Kissenger at least.
I think Pope Benedict wasn’t that bad, he agreed that it was more moral for gay prostitutes to use condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS
Mother Teresa got a Peace prize for her work with the poor of Calcutta. (Good as she was, I personally don’t think that was enough) and she was a Catholic figure, so there is a precedent for it.
Being a nice guy shouldn’t be enough, maybe if he makes a vow of poverty mandatory for all bishops and cardinals, then he’ll be in for shot.
I’ve got a hunch that he actually might get it for reducing AIDS. No, I’m not joking, the church is actually already one of the biggest providers of support, medicine, medical personnel and scientific training in the fight against AIDS. The problem is, they’ve got this terribly naive view that people will stop having sex with unfamiliar partners if they are educated enough.
If they recognised this weakness in human nature and allowed condoms (which don’t guarantee safety, but definately help), the transmission rate would go down. Unlike abortions or coils, condoms don’t kill a foetus, so it should be easier to doctrinally allow them, the church already allows the calendar method, so they can’t say fruitfulness is a key virtue.
Don’t they all take that vow already?
That’s probably a safe bet for the committee then.
I don’t think bishops tend to come from orders that take a vow of poverty.
No. Members of religious orders take vows of poverty, but priests who are not members of religious orders, (“secular” priests or “bishop’s” priests), are free to earn and keep as much money as they can as long as their money-making does not interfere with their priestly duties.
Fr. Andrew Greeley, for example, made a modest income as a published sociologist, but became very wealthy when he began writing novels. He donated most of his earnings to charitable causes and college endowments, but the money was his to do with as he chose.