Pope on death bed

[velcrobott]

According to CNN he had his last rites tonight...

[Fimbo]

Poor man. He's looked as if he was on the way out for a while now, I always felt sorry for him being in the public eye waving from that window when he was obviously very very ill.

[LGJ]

Only job in the world, where you have to die to get time off, and that is from a practising Catholic.

Felt embarrased, at the way the poor man was wheeled out to perform over Easter.

[lavenderrr]

can remember him coming to the throne stp

[JanH]

It's one of those jobs you just can't resign from, isn't it? Poor old chap.

[leander]

its so sad.I'm not a catholic but have always admired him and his dedication.

[velcrobott]

I am a catholic and believe you CAN resign but he always said he would not.

[LGJ]

can a pope resign ? this makes interesting reading

[Twiglett]

according to DH the pope can resign

I think its amazing in the modern age that a man with Parkinsons and obviously frail and not totally able to communicate for a very large number of years can be in control of such a powerful network - I wonder who's pulling the strings?

[morningpaper]

I'm no fan on JP2. Yes he has achieved some great things but let's be honest, he (and his conservative chums) has also done dreadful things for women and families all over the world and stopped the Catholic church from progressing and helping people in the way it should. I don't hold any hope that the next pope will be much better, but please God, let us never have a pope who lasts 27 years again.

[LGJ]

Morningpaper


I got some very hard stares at Church when I suggested that he was a misogynist.

[flamesparrow]

I'm not catholic, but have been distressed about the pope for years. Yes, they can retire, but it hasn't happened for 100 years or so, and its the kind of job where - would you really retire and not feel guilty??? You believe you've been given this divine post, surely it would feel like rejecting your god in some way to "resign".

But, I have felt so bad for him for years, he has been ill for so long, but they keep bringing him out to do his duties - even when he had his last stint in hospital they had him up at the window, when anyone else would have been left to rest.

Ask any gods you have, or whatever you believe in, for his pain to end. I would never ask for someone's death, but just for their pain to end in whatever way is best.

[LGJ]

The much-raised question is:

"Can the pope abdicate?"

When asked Pope John Paul has countered with a characteristic sharp retort:

"Did Jesus come down from the cross?"

This comment provides a key to his conviction that he is divinely appointed and so only God can end his pontificate. He speaks of his "self-oblation" on behalf of the Church and the world.

Like Queen Elizabeth II of England, our Holy Father has a strong conviction of a divine call to the sublime office of vicar of Christ. Like her, he will not consider abdicating.

[wild]

'Pulling the strings', twiglett?
God one assumes
I am not religious but I am sad about the Pope

[JoolsToo]

I have the same thoughts as Twiglett and flamesparrow -

[morningpaper]

Wild sadly not just God... He managed to publish a lengthy document in January - not bad eh?!

LGJ his letter last year on the role of women had me almost as depressed as the one the year before (I think) on homosexuals.

[sunnyskies]

I remember when he became pope - showing my age! I am not a catholic, but as a christian have said a prayer for him! I thought he could reitre but chose not to but there was a nun in the newsagents this morning arguing that he couldnot have retired as he has given is life to God etc she was getting quite irate!
God bless him!

[morningpaper]

lol at the thought of bumping into a nun in the newsagent!

[sweetheart]

Isn't there some achient prophecy that says that when this pope dies the world will be destroyed by a huge war!?!?!?!!?

[LGJ]

The power behind the throne.


Most people agree that the four men who have control are Cardinal Sodano; Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; and Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Pope?s vicar for the diocese of Rome. Sodano, 78, has been the ?number two? since 1991. If the Pope has indeed written a conditional resignation letter, it is most likely in the Secretary of State?s keeping. Ratzinger, who will soon be 78 as well, is the longest-serving head of a Vatican office. He has served as the Church?s ?guardian of orthodoxy? since 1981. Re, 71, who has spent most of his priestly life in the Secretariat of State, is one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes men in the Roman Curia. And Ruini, 74, has been the Pope?s eyes and ears for the Church in Italy since 1985 and his vicar for Rome since 1991.

However, the real ?power behind the throne? is John Paul?s personal secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, who is nearly 66. He has been with Karol Wojtyla since he was the Archbishop of Krakow, and has increasingly become the interpreter of the Pope?s wishes. It is inconceivable that any decisions will be taken regarding John Paul?s future without his consent and active participation.

[LGJ]

Full article here

[Twiglett]

If you believe in divine appointment that's all very well

But the church is central and crucial to many millions of peoples and major announcements / decisions I'm sure have been made in the last years that affect those millions of people. a man in the Pope's physical state just would not be capable of overseeing / deciding on these - that means that someone else is the 'power behind the throne' and is making the decisions and it isn't the 'divine appointment'

That's the thing with an organisational structure like the church - does the power lie with the figurehead 'appointed by God' or does it lie with the buerocrats 'there by ambition'

[sunnyskies]

Morningpaper - She was quite scary! lol

[lilibet]

I beleive that thru his misguided teachings on AIDS, HIV and condoms he has done so much harm in the world.

As an example, during his time as Pope women with husbands who were HIV positive have been told that it is a sin to refuse to have sex with your husband but you cannot wear a condom.

I realise that certainly in the last few years, maybe thru all his 'reign' he has been little more than a mouthpiece for others, but to promote teachings such as this is at best irresponsible and otherwise downright evil.

[LGJ]

I am just praying Ratzinger doesn't get any closer to power, he is dangerous.

[flamesparrow]

The HIV teachings are silly, but that would be going off onto a whole catholicism rant in general