How we will know if the Pope has died

[Walt Starr]

Cardinal Ruini will make the announcement. From the viewpoint of the Vatican, the Pope is not dead until that announcement is made.

source: http://www.repubblica.it/2005/c/dirette/sezioni/esteri/allarmetsun/allarmepapa/index.html

[burythehatchet]

1. one popemobile will appear in autotrader.com

[Junkdrawer]

4. LOL

:thumbsup:

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cooley Hurd]

24. *snarf*

:D

[Sequoia]

2. I just got a call saying he had died, but nothing on the news wire yet.

[Walt Starr]

3. The Vatican has denied that the Pope has died

The MSM jumped the gun earlier based upon some reports in Italian media.

[kliljedahl]

5. Lotta good that does

I can't read Italian


http://www.kliljedahl.net

[Book Lover]

7. The head line translated is

The Pope has lost consciousness
"There is no more hope"

[Walt Starr]

8. Yeah, I used Babelfish

http://world.altavista.com/tr

[grumpy old fart]

6. Pope is dead? Depends on what the definition of "is" is......

ah for the simple old days.....

[_TJ_]

10. That reminds me of something...

:D

[tnlefty]

9. Unless I misunderstood what I heard earlier today from Chris

Jansing (?) that even if his attending physicians know that he has died it isn't "official" until the official at the Vatican states so. I guess that he could possibly die well before the "official announcement" is made?

[Walt Starr]

12. And Cardinal Ruini could be angry with the media for announcing it

early, so he could wait an entire day or longer before announcing it if he so chooses.

[tnlefty]

16. I thought that the process that she described was more than a

little bizarre. Calling his name 3 times and that if there was no response then he would be declared dead. I've been in the room with 3 relatives who I was helping to care for prior to death, and they were all unconscious and unresponsive with long periods between breaths, but their hearts hadn't completely stopped.

Perhaps they have a more precise way of doing this than the way that she described.

[Walt Starr]

25. It's a ritual that is hundreds of years old

That's all.

[kliljedahl]

28. I heard last night

that they also whack him on the head with a hammer three times as they say his nsme. It was a guy in a black dress from Rome so I guess it might be true.If he isn't dead, the hammer ought to do it.


http://www.kliljedahl.net

[rodeodance]

18. The Vatican has a detailed procedure in declaring the Pope dead: The

Victor of Rome will call out his name 3 times, and if Pope Paul does not respond, then by offical Vatican rules, the Pope will be emabrased by the Virgin Mary to be taken to Heavan.

[theboss]

11. The Vatican probably wouldn't announce anything for 24 hours anyway...

It's not the most talkative organization.

[NightOwwl]

13. Buh..buh...but...can't we hook him up to a bunch of tubes

and keep him around for another 15 years or so?

[HeeBGBz]

15. Doesn't he exhale some white smoke?

Not a Catholic, that's what I heard.

[Walt Starr]

17. Nope

That's after they start the Conclave. Whenever they burn the ballots the smoke from the chimney of the Conclave will be black because they will burn straw with the ballots if no Pope has been elected. When a Pope has been elected, the ballots are burned by themselves and the smoke from the chimney is white.

[rodeodance]

19. White smoke comes from the Vatican when a new Pope has been chosen

by the Cardinals. Black smoke indicates a majority has not chosen a Pope at the time--so they huddle again and try to get a majority vote.

[Walt Starr]

20. Two-thirds majority is required for the first thirty ballots

After thirty ballots, the Conclave can on a simple majority vote, decide to go to a simple majority. this is a newly introduced protocol. Giovanni Paul II introduced it to keep from having some of the tense battles of the past.

[illflem]

22. Doesn't the sky usually fall when the pope dies?

[JVS]

21. Black smoke

White smoke is for when they have a new pope

[Walt Starr]

23. Not until the Conclave

The smoke doesn't even enter into it for at least 15-20 days.

[JVS]

26. Oh yeah that's right. I do remember hearing that they shut a particular..

door when the pope dies though

[Ishoutandscream]

27. I'm not sure. Spinning The White Album backwards on the turntable

Wait a minute! Right after Blackbird on side 2 - "Paul is dead, man, miss him, miss him." Couldn't hear a "John Paul," however.