'Amen.' A Moment Later, the Pope Was Dead

[quaoar]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23595-2005Apr3.html

By Glenn Frankel
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, April 4, 2005; Page A14

ROME -- In his last moments, Pope John Paul II lay in the large but modestly furnished bedroom he had called home for 26 years. His longtime aide, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, a fellow Pole who for nearly 40 years was as close to him as a son, sat by his bedside and prayed. The pontiff was given the sacrament for the sick and dying. Thirteen other people were in the room -- doctors, nurses, servants and senior clerics -- when at 9:37 p.m. Saturday his heart finally stopped beating.

Those are the bare facts of the pope's death as reported by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Vatican press office. No one who was there has come forward to speak publicly, and much of John Paul's final hours are shrouded in mystery.

< snip >

Another account came from Marco Politi, Vatican reporter for La Repubblica newspaper, who quoted the Rev. Jarek Cielecki, editor of the Vatican news service, as saying: "At a certain point, a few moments before he died, the Pope raised his right hand, moving it in an obvious, if only faint, gesture of blessing, as if he were aware of the crowd of the faithful present in the square who at the time were following the saying of the rosary.

"As soon as the prayer was over, the pope made a very great effort and said the word 'Amen.' A moment later, he was dead."

[drummer55]

1. yeah right. humans and their damn image making. n/t

[chlamor]

2. Rather Thematic

[Warpy]

3. I doubt the second account is correct.

I've seen a lot of death, and there generally isn't that kind of drama, especially when the death is from sepsis and multiple organ failure.

The first account sounds about right.

[Azathoth]

4. They shouldn't try to embellish it

The pope died a noble and dignified death, and he is already being remembered as a hero by much of the world. Making stuff up about his final moments is unnecessary.

[rodeodance]

8. yes, you are right

[regnaD kciN]

5. The story reminds me of when a friend of mine died...

His name was Randall Jay McCarty. He was a church organist and choirmaster (Episcopal) and founder of much of Seattle's early-music activity. He died in February 1989, at the age of 37, from AIDS.

His final morning, our priest and several of his friends were keeping vigil. When they were informed by the medical staff that he had very little time left, they decided to recite the Litany at the Time of Death. They reached the final Commendation, whose opening line is "Depart, O Christian Soul, out of this world." At that precise moment, Randy stopped breathing.

The priest said later that he was not at all surprised, as Randy had never missed a cue in his life.

[quaoar]

7. That's a great story

And even if it wasn't true, it should be.

Which is how I think about the story of the pope's last words. If it isn't true, it ought to be.

[NinetySix]

9. A lot of 'last words' stories are apocryphal

Weren't Oscar Wilde's last words supposed to have been, "either those curtains go, or I do"? Perhaps he put together that witty epitaph for himself when he felt certain he would die (but not actually at his last moment), or perhaps a friend, knowing him well, constructed it in homage to him. In any case, true or not, such epitaphs are intended to reflect a person's character, which is why they are remembered, I suppose.

[daleo]

6. Who knows really?

There are bound to be a lot of sweet stories propagated about his death. I have my doubts, but as long as it doesn't get too outrageous I guess it doesn't matter.

[ChickMagic]

10. It reminds me a little of Sam Kinison's death

The guy who was holding him said that Kinison kind of looked into the distance and said, "Oh, okay". Then he died. That was kind of spooky.

[MollyStark]

11. A friends mother lifted her hand as if reaching for someone

moments before she died. Strange things happen. For instance, many people tell stories of unconcious people dying only in that minute when those closest have left the room. WE know that some animals go off to hide when they die, but refuse to understand that the instinct in people to do the same thing is very strong.

[shamalama]

13. The next world

There are many accounts of people that "came back from death" that explain those last moments as moving from one world/reality to the next one (heaven, the next life, etc.).

So I wonder if the Pope, assuming the Marco Politi story is true, was seeing something from heaven?

[coffeenap]

16. I watched my father die. About 10 minutes before he stopped breathing

he suddenly came out of a sleep, sat almost upright for the first time in two days,looked with focused eyes at something I could not see, paid attention for about two minutes, settled back down on the bed, and calmly began to die. I KNOW he saw something--and I am NOT a believer. As he died, he couldn't speak, but he kept looking into my eyes--I know he was telling me what he saw. I was glad for him.

[Inland]

12. "ahhhhHHHHH WAAAAAAAHHHHH...."

He was spared the indignity of Terri Schaivo's "friends and family". Good for him.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Are they sure he wasn't trying to say take me the hospital you thugs? n/t

[Zerex71]

15. Much like the mythology of "Let's Roll!"