ot: 1 min of silence
 

Sad news yestarday, the pope john paul 2 had died http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif lets all give him respect with 1 min of silence and a prayer for him.

Re: ot: 1 min of silence
 

Though i aint a religous person (in fact i wasnt in church for years) i did give him respect once i read the died. If a god exists, then im sure the pope was the person next to god here on earth. I really hope there is something like an afterlife, if so, the pope should get what he deserves for his life-work.

Re: ot: 1 min of silence
 

Too bad he had to die like this, the last years he was but a shadow of the man he was when he became pope. and I4m afraid some will always remember him as the frale guy that could barely speak.

Re: ot: 1 min of silence
 

Well, I'm not catholic, but it's always sad for those left behind when someone dies. My sympathies to catholics.

Re: ot: 1 min of silence
 

Thanks Narf and everyone. I'm not a very emotional person so I'm not upset. The way I see it these things will happen eventually (I spent the last few years expecting it to happen someday anyway).

Re: ot: 1 min of silence
 

They should have let him retire years ago. IMHO it's cruel to expect someone to continue working in that condition. I'm sure he'd have said it's what he wanted, but only because that's what was expected of him: If he'd had the option of retiring gracefully at the age of (say) 70 then I don't doubt he'd have taken it.

The idea of "Pope for life" was probably dreamed up in the middle ages when your average Pope could expect to die of assassination/ good living/ some nasty medieval disease long before reaching old age or infirmity. Our (UK) royal family is facing a similar problem brought on by the same cause: Judging by the age the Queen Mum achieved before dying (about 110, I think), by the time Queen Liz dies, our Prince Charlie will probably be an octagenarian at least. He had his children comparatively late, but he can expect an even longer lifespan, due to improved medical science, so his son will also be old when he comes to the throne. Unless Charles passes the crown directly on and skips a generation (as I suspect he will) rather than take it for himself, we will never have a young monarch again. I'm not sure that it actually matters, mind you, but in these days when pontiffs and monarchs benefit from such a high level of medical care attention, life expectancies are too long for these "until death" roles to be viable.

I'm not a Catholic or a Christian so generally I don't really care what the vatican does or doesn't do as far as internal policy goes, but seeing that poor, ill old man struggle painfully to work through the years of his life that should have been given over to rest, recreation and reflection was just heartbreaking.

I'm not expecting Catholicism to drag itself out of the dark ages all at once, but I think they could at least offer the next Pope a retirement clause.

Re: ot: 1 min of silence
 

As I understood it he could of retired but didn't want to, I vaugely remember some fuss when a German cardinal suggested that he retire.

I can understand why he stayed on, I mean what do you do after being the pope? You can't really just fade into the background.

Re: ot: 1 min of silence
 

I'm not a believer in any God or Creator, but still I want to express my sympathies. The poor man seemed like a kind caring person, and I respected him greatly. May he rest in peace.

Re: ot: 1 min of silence
 

In my opinion his death a good event for two reason :
_he stop suffer
_he will no more be manipulated by others. I can't think that he was really taking any decision.

Re: ot: 1 min of silence
 

I agree with Dogscoff and Frederick......
I really felt sorry for that man the last year. Really, really sick as he was, but still on 'the job' as catholic world leader...... IMPOSSIBLE.