Pope John Paul II

[Kheprera]

The Italian news is reporting that the Pope has died. CNN is working to confirm.

 

I still remember when he became Pope. He was, indeed, a great man, and this is coming from a person who is a confirmed non-Christian. He will be missed.

 

Edit: At one point CNN had it on their headline page in their "breaking news" red banner, and now it's gone.

 

I'm searching the Vatican site, now.

[lstormhammer]

I tried accessing Vatican.va, but it looks like it's getting so many hits, it's almost a DNS attack. Guess a lot of Catholics are actually web-savvy. Who knew?

 

Once I know more, I'll post.

 

--hey, just because I don't believe in the Invisible Man in the Sky doesn't mean I don't respect those that do.

 

--LSH

[Kheprera]

Like you, lstorm, I have a lot of respect for someone who, like my grandfather on my father's side, is Polish, Catholic, and has Parkinson's. I've been trying to access the Vatican site all afternoon with no success. The little success I did have seems to show that to get full stories you need Vatican approved press credentials. I couldn't get any further to verify.

 

My heartfelt prayers go out to the Pope. I'm just glad he's not in pain and is peaceful right now (although most likely sleeping since it's late night there).

[Qwyksilver]

I wouldn't be surprised, given the fact that today is April first, that the Vatican will hold off on the news until after midnight (thus 04/02) before making a final announcement just to avoid some knucklehead thinking this is some sort of joke. There is also a lot of protocol around the declaration of death, as it goes beyond just a medical doctor declaring the man dead.

[Erion]

Indead. At some point, the highest ranking cardinal has to strike him in the forehead with a silver hammer to make sure he is dead.

[Hexxenhammer]

Indead. At some point, the highest ranking cardinal has to strike him in the forehead with a silver hammer to make sure he is dead.

This is me *not* making a joke about werewolves.

[Reaperbryan]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/default.stm

 

This is the BBC new homepage. It will automatically uppdate to the latest news. At this time they are reporting him still living.

Pope John Paul II's poor health has become even worse, the Vatican said.

 

His breathing is shallow, his blood pressure is low and he is having difficulties with both his heart and his kidneys, a spokesman said.

He "already sees and touches the Lord," Cardinal Camillo Ruini told a packed Mass in Rome's St John Lateran cathedral.

 

Another senior clergyman, Angelo Comastri, told about 30,000 people gathered in St Peter's Square: "This evening or this night, Christ opens the door to the Pope."

 

He later denied reports in the Italian media that the Pope had died.

[ladystorm]

National Catholic Weekly has some information about the hammer striking.

 

When the pope dies, the prefect of the papal household (Bishop James Harvey) informs the camerlengo or chamberlain who must verify his death in the presence of the papal master of ceremonies, the cleric prelates of the Apostolic Camera, and the secretary of the Apostolic Camera who draws up a death certificate. As late as 1903, at the death of Leo XIII, this was done by striking the forehead of the pope with a silver hammer. It may also have been used on John XXIII. One colleague remembers a picture in Life magazine (which I have not had time to look for) in 1958 showing Cardinal Tisserant, then Dean of the College of Cardinals, striking the dead Pope on the forehead and asking, three times, "Eugenio, are you dead?" after each stroke, before saying: "I declare that His Holiness Pope Pius XII is truly dead". The camerlengo (Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo) tells the vicar of Rome (Cardinal Camillo Ruini) of the pope’s death and the vicar then informs the people of Rome. Meanwhile the prefect of the papal household tells the dean (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) of the college of cardinals who informs the rest of the college, the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, and the heads of nations. Although this is the formal procedure, in fact most people will first hear of the death of the pope from the media.

 

The camerlengo locks and seals the private apartment of the pope. In the past looting of papal apartments by his staff, the cardinals or the Roman populace was a common custom. Today popes are more concerned that their private papers not get into the wrong hands. If the pope writes a will, the executor he appoints will take care of his private property and his private papers. This executor is answerable only to the next pope. The pope’s Fisherman’s ring and his seal are broken to symbolize the end of his reign and to prevent forgeries. No autopsy is performed, which can lead to wild media speculation if the pope dies suddenly as occurred with John Paul I.

[Qwyksilver]

Hmmm I never knew about the hammer piece. They've been talking on the radio about everything else, but the hammer strike was never mentioned.

[Java Fiend]

So that's where the Beatles got that line in Maxwell's Silver Hammer!

Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer

Came down upon her head

Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer

Made sure that she was dead

[Froggy the Great]

Oh hey, wow. That never occurred to me. Looks like John/Paul...Oh dear sweet eddie, that works too, but is coincidental since it was before his pontificate...lemme start over. "Looks like Lennon/McCartney" were being a little pretentious there.

 

Or something.

 

Thus endeth the thread hijack.

[Orchid_Noir]

I tried accessing Vatican.va, but it looks like it's getting so many hits, it's almost a DNS attack. Guess a lot of Catholics are actually web-savvy. Who knew?

 

Once I know more, I'll post.

 

--hey, just because I don't believe in the Invisible Man in the Sky doesn't mean I don't respect those that do.

 

--LSH

There is no news pertinent to this available on the Vatican website.

 

The only thing related to this that is there at this moment is the option to email best wishes to Him.

 

Orchid

[Crusoe the Painter]

Indead. At some point, the highest ranking cardinal has to strike him in the forehead with a silver hammer to make sure he is dead.

But what is the name of the highest ranking cardinal? Is it Maxwell?

 

Which makes me wonder, which came first, this ritual or the lyrics? The ritual undoubtably. Conversely, did the beatles know of this ritual when writing the song?...

[Erion]

CNN just announced that he died.

 

FYI.

[Qwyksilver]

I am happy he was able to go quickly, and peacefully, and did not suffer long.

Not Catholic, but I think most everyone can recognize that a great man was lost today.