Dub

Some clever wags are calling the new Pontiff B16, in honor of the holiest of Catholic sacraments, bingo. I suspect some dullards, like the Corner's Kathryn Lopez, will run that nickname into the ground before they even get the joke.

I'm still mulling things over, but right now I'm leaning toward Benny the Rat.

Meanwhile, Peggy Noonan gives Benny the Rat a virtual knuckle job:

Those who are pursuing John Paul II's canonization, please note: his first miracle is Benedict XVI.

We are living in a time of supernatural occurrences. The old pope gives us his suffering as a parting gift, says his final goodbye on Easter Sunday; dies on the vigil of Feast of the Divine Mercy, the day that marks the messages received by the Polish nun, now a saint, who had written that a spark out of Poland would light the world and lead the way to the coming of Christ. The mourning period for the old pope ends on the day that celebrates St. Stanislas, hero of Poland, whose name John Paul had thought about taking when he became pope. We learned this week from a former secretary that John Paul I, the good man who was pope just a month, had told everyone the day he was chosen that he wanted to be called John Paul I. You can't be called "the first" until there is a second, he was told. There will be a second soon, he replied.

It is an age of miracles and wonders, of sightings of Mary and warnings, of prophecy, graces and gifts.

Jay-P died on the vigil of Feast of the Divine Mercy. Ooh, that is supernatural. You should send a treatment to Wes Craven, Peggy.

And shouldn't that be "the vigil of the Feast..."? Just axin'.