Super Pope

[AlecWest]

No, this isn't a religious comment, it's a health comment. The Pope will eventually die. Perhaps soon. There's no question about that. But, after reading him the last rites, he's apparently responding to antibiotics for his condition. This guy must have a constitution of iron for a man his age.

It kinda reminds me of Roy Rogers. He survived multiple heart attacks and came back from all of them ... except the last one.

[Conquest10]

He's in a coma now. Sorry to hear that the end may be soon. I agree he is a fighter.

EDIT: it now seems that its possible coma.

[AlecWest]

It is not clear who would be empowered to make medical decisions for an unconscious Pope.

Well, as long as a Cardinal doesn't come out and say, "He told me he wanted the tubes pulled" ... and other Cardinals say "He'd never want that," I guess we'll avoid a Vatican version of the Schiavo case.

[smearbrick1]

I think there may have been a bit of misinformation in reports about his condition. It seemed that the Vatican really downplayed the seriousness of his condition. When the news agencies reported the doctors had to do an emergency tracheotomy (sp?), I was pretty concerned. They went on to report it like it was just some small measure to help him breath easier. Now, I understand the need to breathe easier, but to have a tracheotomy is not something that doctors just do. You have to have some serious health issues for a procedure like that. Even if they have sugar coated the reports on his condition, I can understand why. You can't come right out and tell millions of people that the pope's dying without some type of backlash... people would probably go nuts... crises of faith... the whole nine, only a massive level.

Good guy though.

Little tough on homosexuals though.

[AlecWest]

One myth surrounding Pope John Paul II is that he's the first Eastern European Pope. While he is the first "sitting" Pope from Eastern Europe, he's not the first "elected" Pope from Eastern Europe.

After Pope Pius VIII died in 1830, the Cardinals met to choose the next Pope. Catholics from around Europe flocked to St. Peter's Square to mourn Pius VIII and await the new leader. Finally, after weeks of deliberation, the white smoke could be seen rising from the chimney ... signifying that a selection had been made. The new Pope, whose Papal name was never announced, was of Romanian ancestry and his family name was Goetheveezl.

The Papal Gendarmerie walked among the masses in St. Peter's Square, dispensing ceremonial wine to the assembled flock. But hour after hour passed with no new Pope appearing on the veranda. And some celebrants were becoming a bit intoxicated, including a group of British Catholics. Finally, a Cardinal appeared on the veranda and gave the sad news. Between the time of his selection until then, Goetheveezl had died ... necessitating that the Cardinals select yet another Pope.

The British Catholics, slightly intoxicated, began to sing a song which later (after the lyrics were changed) became a classic children's song:

A half-a-pound of tuppenny rice.
A helf-a-pound of treacle.
That's the way the chimney puffs.
Pope Goetheveezl

(ahem)

OK, OK, it's an April Fools joke. This story actually appeared in one of the many versions of The Anarchist's Cookbook as an example of pre-Internet urban legends.

[AlecWest]

Hmmm ... here's a few interesting things about what happens after the Pope dies:

1) They have to wait at least 4 days before he can be buried.

2) Cardinals over 80 years old are not entitled to vote for a new Pope.

3) Voting for a new Pope cannot begin until 15 days after the Pope's death ... and cannot begin after 20 days.

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4338531/detail.html

There's also no "time-limit" on how long voting can take. In an odd twist and, since late February (no, not a joke), Irish bookmakers are "taking bets" on who will be the next Pope:

http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=148719

[canadateck]

Unconfirmed reports say Pope John Paul has died

[AlecWest]

Unconfirmed reports say Pope John Paul has died

Yup, the Italian Press is saying as much ... but the Vatican hasn't confirmed or denied it.

[zzyzzx]

Actually he was reported dead earlier today, then not dead, reminding eveyone of a certain Monty Python movie I'm not dead yet!

[the bomb]

I just heard that his heart and kidneys a failing

[bigmicka]

there are lots of those types of facts Alec

like there have been female popes. though the church will not like them stating as such, cause it takes away the patriarchies control of the church.

but to prove that an incoming pope is actually a male, they make the candidate sit on a chair with a hole in the middle of the seat and one of the cardinals has to come from behind and into the hole, to make sure the package is complete.

its what i like to think of ancient thinking in a modern age. whose to say a process that has stood the test of time cant be changed for a modern age.

new things are not necessarily better, but neither are old things.

mic

[canadateck]

Its now confirmed.

[the bomb]

What a fighter!

[AlecWest]

I'm not a particularly religious man but, besides the Reverand Billy Graham and Mohandas Ghandi, Pope John Paul II was the only other religious figure I admired and respected.

There was an embarassing moment on a local religious radio station today. KXL, a talk station, reported it but declined to name the station (I think there are only one or two in town). Apparently, the religious station had been following the Pope's decline closely over the last week and had created either a tapecaster tape (or digital file) that said, "Stay tuned and we'll keep you abreast of any changes in the Pope's condition." Well, the announcer announced the Pope's death and, immediately afterward, cued up that message. Ahem.