03/31/05
01:30:13 am, Categories: Politics & Religion
Pope nearly dead
Looks like the Pope is just about dead.
Excerpt:
Pope John Paul II is receiving liquid feedings through a tube that has been inserted through his nose and winds down into his stomach, Vatican officials announced today, raising new alarms about the pope's deteriorating health and his ability to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
After reading the story, you wonder how coincidental it is to the current Terry Schiavo drama.
Well, what happens when the Pope dies in a couple of days? This article mentions some pretty old-fashioned rituals:
As soon as the pope dies, the Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church -- a senior Vatican cardinal -- takes over. Usually referred to by the Italian title of 'Camerlengo' (chamberlain), he is the official who must ascertain that the pope is dead.
As recently as 40 years ago, the Camerlengo did this by tapping the pope's head three times with a small hammer and shouting his family name close to his ear, but that colorful ritual is not mentioned in the 1996 revisions made by Pope John Paul II to streamline the process, and referred to by the opening Latin words of the document as "Universi Domini Gregis..." -- The shepherd of the Lord's whole flock...
However, the Camerlengo is still required to slip the papal ring off the dead pope's finger, and smash the official papal seal.
