Players are divided into two teams based on their opinions on topics including abortion, same sex marriage, the ordination of women and the use of birth control. Each team then works to ensure that a player from the other team is not elected Pope.
“We did extensive surveying of Catholics before launching the game and were surprised to find that 80% of Catholics surveyed supported creating a game where they could debate these topics,” said Cheyenne Ehrlich, Founder of SGR Games, LLC. “It will be interesting to see if that’s because they want to elect a liberal Pope or because they want to prove that Catholics are unified and conservative on these issues.”
In Vatican Wars, a player who is elected Pope can make gradual changes to the Church’s position on each topic. Gradual changes made by ten consecutive liberal Popes could, for example, reverse the Church’s position on same sex marriage. Popes are elected based on their own gameplay, their team’s gameplay and actual voting by all players. Gameplay within Vatican Wars is based on the Catholic liturgical calendar, daily readings, Saints of the day and debating theology [Via The Deacon’s Bench]
This same company previously put out Priestville on Facebook.
SGR Games LLC is a developer of social games. SGR has no business relationship with the Holy Roman Catholic Church, The Vatican or the Holy See.
Though there is a Catholic connection, SGR Games is named after Saint Genesius of Rome.
Personally I am waiting for Liturgical Wars, though there seems to be a version played in many of our parishes.
As to the premise of the game it isn’t very imaginative. Come on I want game play based on the arguments on the Filioque or perhaps settling the issue of predestination between the Thomists and the Molinists. There are lots of disputed questions that we will see development of doctrine on at some point.
Besides the basic premise of the game is flawed. One of the worst things that could ever happen to progressive Catholics is the election of a progressive pope or even series of Progressive Popes. When doctrine still didn’t change they would be freaking out not knowing what went wrong. Just a minor problem with the indefectability of the Church. The idea to support a pope to change a doctrine is nothing new. Empress Theodora backed Vigilius to become Pope so as to support the Monophysite heresy. Things did not go as planned though. In a letter he wrote the Empress Theodora:
“Far be this from me, Lady Augusta; formerly I spoke wrongly and foolishly, but now I assuredly refuse to restore a man who is a heretic and under anathema [the deposed Mono physite Patriarch of Constantinople, Anthimius]. Though unworthy, I am vicar of Blessed Peter the Apostle, as were my predecessors, the most holy Agapitus and Silverius, who condemned him.”
The Holy Spirit doesn’t mess around when it comes to protecting the Church.
6 comments
That is a cool quote from Vigilius, I would like to know what she said when she got the letter! Although I imagine it was not fit for family reading.
How about a game based on Monty Python philosophy??
Although I fear the damage and confusion that may be done by a liberal pope writing prolifically under his own name, sometimes I do wish we could have one so everyone who thought they could get contraception, priestesses, and gay marriage by the book might have their eyes opened.
In the meantime, I’m with Galactic Catholic. Perhaps the game could start with a five minute argument.
I often wonder what would happen to Fr’s Kung or McBrien or the like, if they were elected Pope. I know for a start they would no longer be infallible in they eyes of their supporters…..
I do believe in the infallibility of the Pope – but I don’t think that means we can take for granted the dramatic intervention (e.g. sudden incapacitation or change of heart) of the Holy Spirit should the conclave elect someone with notoriously heterodox views. Certainly the prayers of the faithful could make a huge positive difference in this area and God’s power and goodness go well beyond what the faithful pray for.
But several disasters could take place without violating the guarantee of Papal Infallibility. A heterodox teaching could appear to come “ex cathedra” (l’Osservator Romano gets increased perceived clout) when in fact some of the conditions were not met. An official statement could be so poorly worded and translated (youcat) that it appeared to sanction something against Church Teaching. A Pope could incur an automatic excommunication (Honorius I) by falling into heresy, lose the gift of infallibility but still appear to be the Pope, and then make an apparently “ex cathedra” heretical statement.
Even though these scenarios would be highly inconceivable, when we keep using that word “infallible” I wonder if it means what we think it means.
When I start entertaining those thoughts, I stop and pray I never see the day. (: