UnNews:Walken says being new Pope will be "challenging"

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17 November 2006

Christopher Walken adjusts to new job as Pope

VATICAN CITY, Italia - Stage and screen actor Christopher Walken (64) says he expects his new job as Pope to be "challenging," and "not your ordinary gig."

Walken's election as Pope came as a surprise this week to the actor, as well as much of the rest of the world.

"I didn't even know I'd been nominated, frankly," said Walken. "So when I got the news, you can imagine it was pretty overwhelming."

The swift, unexpected and surprisingly unpublicized death of Pope Benedict XIV on Thursday, and the new on-line voting procedures adopted by the Council of Bishops accelerated the normally lengthy selection procedure, catching many people off-guard.

Walken, who has portrayed such religious characters as the archangel Gabriel in the "Prophecy" movie trilogy, and "The Pope of Greenwich Village," had apparently been on a pre-approved "short list" of papal candidates.

"I get this call, and naturally I immediately think somebody's yanking me," Walken explained. "But after talking to them a while, it turns out to be the real deal, and the next thing I know they're flying me to the Vatican and measuring me for the robe."

Though thoroughly unprepared for the job, Walken is confident he'll quickly master the nuances and soon be a functioning Pope.

"Obviously, I'm going to have to bone up on the old catechism again. I mean, Pope is not your ordinary gig, and until I find my groove it should be challenging. I'll get the hang of it, though."