

Pope Francis named TIME person of the year. - shashwat986
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/11/us-usa-pope-personoftheyear-idUSBRE9BA0JF20131211

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drcube
This guy has said a lot of nice things since becoming pope, and I want to give
him the benefit of the doubt. It really seems like he's clawing back some of
the PR and good will Catholics lost over the last few decades. But the cynic
in me only sees a propaganda machine that's finally firing on all cylinders
again. I mean, forgetting what he said, what has he actually _done_?

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namlem
For one, he's gone out into the slums himself and talked to the poor directly.

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dutchbrit
I think that the majority here, like me, was rooting for Snowden.

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adam12
I think we all knew that wouldn't happen though.

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infruset
Yes, and it's also the reason why we shouldn't even care what Time has to say
about the person of the year..

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dutchbrit
Exactly my thought too - however, it would of been nice!

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ondiekijunior
doesn't deserve it a bit. Snowden brought up a debate that is lasting, that
concerns us. there is nothing the pope brought up that defined the year.
Mandela would have been a better choice.

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untog
While I agree that Snowden would have been a great choice, I don't think the
Pope is a bad one. He's ushered in a new era in one of the biggest religions
in the world. It just doesn't impact on the Hacker News crowd so much.

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infruset
I don't think the (absolute) merits of Francis are questioned by comments so
much as their weight relative to that of Snowden's revelation.

Furthermore, a new Catholic leader who shows something different from the hate
and bigotry we've seen in the past may be positive, but it shouldn't be
something we celebrate as the single best accomplishment in a year IMHO.

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anonymfus
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6887410](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6887410)

"Time Person of the Year 2013", 1 hour ago, 38 points, 57 comments.

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drallison
Person of the Year (formerly Man of the Year) is an annual issue of the United
States newsmagazine Time that features and profiles a person, group, idea or
object that "for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the
events of the year." [Wikipedia]

The Pope has had little influence on the events of the year. Of the nominees,
Snowden would seem a best fit.

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cafard
I am reminded of 2008 - 2009. My question: will he get his Nobel Peace Prize
before the world wakes up and notices that he is in fact head of the Roman
Catholic Church?

