Pope John Paul II

[Hagar]

I should have known better & kept my big trap shut. :-/ My comments were a genuine attempt to stop people making flippant comments on a sensitive subject. I never intended to introduce politics into this topic.

[EirePlane]

From what i've heard there is a nine day mourning period before all the cardinals meet in the sistine chapel and elect the new pope by secret ballot. After the votes are all counted the ballots are burned in a kiln in the back of the chapel. if white smoke comes from the chimney a new pope has been elected. if black smoke comes from the chimney they need to go back and rethink who they vote for.

I am not the best catholic, i dont go to church very often, im not the sort of person to pray often but the passing of the pope has upset me. he was a great man and very forgiving. he even visited and forgave the man who tried to kill him in the 1980s. He helped Poland out of communism and really was the "People's Pope".

If half the people in the world could do half as much good as him. we would already be well on our way to a peaceful world

[ATI_7500]

I never intended to introduce politics into this topic.

Never mind. I enjoyed Paul's post.

[Fozzer]

Never mind. I enjoyed Paul's post.

...thank-you Bjorn...!

I'll say no more* for fear of upsetting everybody....
...apart from you and me... ... ...!
LOL... ...!

Paul ...The Un-Religous.

* Perhaps... ...!

[ozzy72]

The College of Cardinals is to meet at 10am (0900 BST) tomorrow before a secret election starting in 15-20 days' time to choose a successor to John Paul.
As for who it'll be I have no idea!
But I do know all about this stuff as my mum is a strict Catholic and I was raised one, I have since lapsed....
However I do know that the College of Cardinals will slowly be starved until they make a decision as about 900 years ago (if memory serves) they spent over a year arguing, and in the end people surrounded the castle they were having the debate in and wouldn't allow anything except bread and water in until they made a decision, apparently this tradition still exists

[Smoke2much]

In that case let's hope that they take a long looooooooong time.

[Fozzer]

In that case let's hope that they take a long looooooooong time.

...and run out of bleedin' bread and water... ...!

Paul

[raz]

If anybody wants to know the process for electing the new pope a little better, read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.  Although the book is fiction, there is fact within it.  Good book too.

[beefhole]

It was in Godfather 3 also.

[Craig.]

If anyone would be more ready to accept death you'd think it was the Pope

Theres only so much prepairing a person can do. Death is a pretty scarey thought to alot of people. You may hear them say they arnt afraid because there is heaven waiting for them on the other side. But even the most religous person can start to have doubts as the time draws close to a persons death.

[Felix/FFDS]

Theres on so much prepairing a person can do. Death is a pretty scarey thought to alot of people. You may hear them say they arnt afraid because there is heaven waiting for them on the other side. But even the most religous person can start to have doubts as the time draws close to a persons death.

Based on the accounts of his last moments, he apparently tried to raise his hand in a last blessing to those gathered around him and whispered "Amen" ... shortly thereafter, and after a chanting of the Rosary had been completed in the square outside, he expired.

I don't think that this is a man the feared mortal death, but welcomed it as a passage to meet his Master.

[Craig.]

My comments wernt directly aimed at the popes last moments. Just more to the quoted comment.

[RichieB16]

I think he was ready to go.  Not only was he a very faithful and good man, I believe he had done everything he could during his life to do what he believed God wanted.  Plus, Pope John Paul II had suffered for a long time-he had been terribly ill for many years yet kept going.  He probably knew that he would soon be at peace.