It's Official: The Pope Is Dying

[Tiassa]

According to CNN (Wolf Blitzer), His Holiness has received Last Rites.

Update:

A Vatican spokesman said he could not confirm the reports but Church sources said it was likely the Pontiff had recieved the sacrament, given the precarious state of his health.

Reuters AlertNet

 

[kenworth]

he sounded like a monster when he tried to speak in easter.good luck to him,if he's right he's gonna be one happy man in a few weeks time.

 

[kazbadan]

People dont want to admit death. Pope its dying and chritians still be waiting for a miracle. He is dying because he is old, just that. He had a long life, and i hope a happy one.

If Pope died because of an accident, murder, etc it would be bad, but since its a natural death, people around him should help him to have an happy in his last days.

He is a nice man, hope he can cross in piece to the "other side".

 

[spidergoat]

"Next stop, Jerry Falwell."
-the angel of death

 

[Ozymandias]

<b>Last Rites</b> is a common but misleading term; the Anointing of the Sick can be received as often as the believer desires and should not be postponed until death is thought to be near, <b>nor is its administration intended to imply an expectation that the recipient is about to die.</b> At one point in history, the sacrament was reserved until death was believed to be imminent, in order to reduce the possibility of the sick person committing further sins after its administration. However, since the Second Vatican Council this is no longer the case.

Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anointing_of_the_Sick">Wikipedia</a>

Of course, this doesn't mean that the Pope isn't about to die anyway ... just that you shouldn't take this anointment as an implication of near death in itself.

 

[Bells]

Of course, this doesn't mean that the Pope isn't about to die anyway ... just that you shouldn't take this anointment as an implication of near death in itself.

Quite true actually. I remember my uncle being given his last rights as he lay "dying" in hospital. The doctors had told us he would go within hours as the heart attack he'd suffered was so severe and he wasn't waking from the induced coma he'd been placed in. He ultimately died 16 years later of complete heart failure after having had countless heart attacks. Not even the doctors could believe anyone could have that many heart attacks and still keep on going. He was riding his bike up to 2 months before he finally went and had been active since his last rights all those years ago.

 

[spidergoat]

Nope, he's a goner. Hey, I'm a prophet! Worship me!

 

[Repo Man]

I like the last line on the page.

 

[Avatar]

All this "Christians gathering for popes' death" etc seems very disgusting to me and looks more like gathering of necrophiles, but then.. christianity really is a death-religion, so I'm not surprised.

 

[Leo Volont]

According to CNN (Wolf Blitzer), His Holiness has received Last Rites.

Update:

Dear Tiassa,

Well... yes and no. Catholics are urged not to wait too long to receive 'Last Rites'. We are supposed to apply for them at the beginning of any illness which may even be remotely expected to be the least bit dangerous to life -- a serious cold, or even a minor flu. If one recovers, no apologies need be made. Indeed, the Priests assigned to that Work are made to understand that it is a 'healing' ministry, and so they are rather encouraged to hope that their offices are end in recovery than death.

I myself was acquainted with an odd little Priest who, being new to the Parish was assigned that Job as being the least desirable as it called for getting up and going to hospitals at all hours. Officially 'Last Rites' are not to be given to those who have already died, but after driving clear across town, these priests wouldn't let the absence of any significant breathing or a very long hiatus between heartbeats stop them from doing what they came to do. In the case of this funny little Priest of my acquaintance, the corpses would come back to life for their Last Rites, which was great in its own way, but it played hell with the Hospital Staff who were forced to react with Stat Codes and Crash Carts. Finally they found this funny little Priest too disruptive and asked him if he could please conduct Last Rites for dead people while keeping the dead people dead. He reluctantly agreed.

But he was very conflicted. He thought he had given up the Gift of Healing. So he was quite relieved when I went to him and asked him to cure me of what was something of a sever Flu that had been going around. My fever instantly vanished and I was up and around when everyone else was being bed-ridden for two weeks.

So, Last Rites don't always have to result in Death. Sometimes there is a Healing for which everyone is happy, except the hospitals which see Death as a solution for the Problem of Life which they view as one big Disease.