AHC: Make Tom Cruise become the pope at some point

Before he became an actor Tom Cruise was originally training to be a priest. Assuming he remains Catholic could he have an equally impressive rise through the religious ranks as he did being an actor?
Also seeing as how hes only in his fifties right now it would not be realistic if he become pope at this age so this challenge can extend into the future.
 
I think even now he would be too young to become pope, especially now that people are living longer than ever before.
 
Scientology becomes so rich and powerful that it buys out the Catholic Church (Bankrupted by multiple abuse claims) in the late 2020s

By the 2030's Tom having undergone retrograde anti aging treatment and being the popular and public face of the Church of Modern day Saintly Celebrities (the modern name for the Church of Scientology) becomes their 'candidate' for the position of Pope - which pretty much guaranteed him the position.

Benefiting from ever increasing Anti ageing techniques Pope Tom holds the position and even manages to make on average one action movie a year (except for 2055 when he took the field to lead the Papal army to victory vs the ISIS Caliphate) until his untimely death in 2133 whilst filming MI: 76 when the stunt he was performing goes wrong when the Genetically created cyber Raptor got loose and savaged the Pope/Actor who selflessly distracted the creature while the rest of the production crew got to safety.
 
Scientology becomes so rich and powerful that it buys out the Catholic Church (Bankrupted by multiple abuse claims) in the late 2020s

By the 2030's Tom having undergone retrograde anti aging treatment and being the popular and public face of the Church of Modern day Saintly Celebrities (the modern name for the Church of Scientology) becomes their 'candidate' for the position of Pope - which pretty much guaranteed him the position.

Benefiting from ever increasing Anti ageing techniques Pope Tom holds the position and even manages to make on average one action movie a year (except for 2055 when he took the field to lead the Papal army to victory vs the ISIS Caliphate) until his untimely death in 2133 whilst filming MI: 76 when the stunt he was performing goes wrong when the Genetically created cyber Raptor got loose and savaged the Pope/Actor who selflessly distracted the creature while the rest of the production crew got to safety.

Very creative response, i like it
 
savaged the Pope/Actor who selflessly distracted the creature while the rest of the production crew got to safety.

That's SO Pope Tom. He's the same height as Pope Benedict XVI. Coincidence? I always liked the way he had "Maverick" painted on the side of his popemobile.
 
His Eminence, Cardinal Thomas Mapother

I could see Cardinal Mapother of Cincinnati (or St Louis) as a rising star of the Church by our time.

Thomas Cruise Mapother joins the clergy in 1982 and serves well first in Cincinnati then as a 'Hammer of the Orthodoxy' working with Ratzinger on the need for maintaining the 'foundation' of Catholicism. Mapother becomes the first prominent voice among the younger generation of priests to expose abuse that Archbishop Pilarczyk works to hide for over a decade (this forced Pilarcyzk to hand in his resignation in OTL - 2009). Ratzinger works with Mapother, himself a survivor of child abuse, to root out the guilty. Simultaneously he works with Ratzinger on 'Diversity, not reintregration' of the Lutherans, Episcopalians, and more liberal Presbyterians. Because of the pressure involved with his cover-ups, Pilarcyzk resigns in 1999, Cruise succeeds as Archibishop in 1999 before turning 40.

His management of the Archbishopric allows for a 'new face for American Catholicism' and he writes three books about the need for balancing modern technology with traditional morality. He is also the first major official in the Catholic church to have a Facebook page and later a Twitter account. By 2008 Cruise is seen as the leading Catholic figure in North America and, with Ratzinger's favor, is made a Cardinal following concerns for Raymond Burke in Saint Louis. Cincinnati becomes one of two archdioceses in the world to have both an archbishopric and a cardinal as Mapother continues to lead services himself at least every other Sunday. With his interactions among lay Catholics allowing them to form a "Catholic Center" as a voting bloc he also becomes something of a power player in the Eastern US, especially in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. With the election of Francis I in Feburary 2013, the shocking revelation of Mapother's second-place finish means Europe and South America appear to like the idea of the young Cardinal with media savvy leading not only the Catholics of North American but also the world.
 
He's short, he's gay, on a sundays lots of people go to a big building to see him perform, he believes in an all powerful God and reads a weird book written by a dead guy. Perfect for the papacy.
 
Even Thomas Cruise Mapother joins the clergy in 1982 (age 20)
he has to rise in Catholic church hierarchy
He can become Pope of Rome in 2020 (age 58)
That the age of youngest Pope in 20 century: Johannes Paul II.
 
It would have taken all the right moves for an outsider like him to become top gun in the church. Very risky business. A real reacher to think the man almost born on the fourth of july could do it. Better off watching Jerry mcguire and having a cocktail.
 
It would have taken all the right moves for an outsider like him to become top gun in the church. Very risky business. A real reacher to think the man almost born on the fourth of july could do it. Better off watching Jerry mcguire and having a cocktail.

I see what you did :D
 
I see what you did :D

Yes it was far and away the most references to movies I have ever done. There was one other time a few good men tried it. It was during the days of thunder..topical thunder I believe...you wouldn't believe the amount of rain man. It was impossible. So I gave up and watched Pbs. They had an interview with the vampire who started a war of the worlds.
 
On a more mundane note: he appears to have ditched Scientology, at least if that cover of the issue of People on the magazine shelf in the grocery store I am working at is any indication.
 
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