ot: 1 min of silence

[Nex_Empire]

Sad news yestarday, the pope john paul 2 had died lets all give him respect with 1 min of silence and a prayer for him.

[Ragnarok-X]

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.

[boran_blok]

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.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

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

[Randallw]

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).

[dogscoff]

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.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Before 2050 is just what I think - or at least hope. Even if the US administration cancels the project, there are still the Europeans, and more recently the Chinese. Another administration might restart the project, there might be an international collaboration (think ISS but then bigger) that would attempt that, etc. etc. etc.

edit: repaired end bold tag

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Errm Phil, with Bush's plans we'll be reaching Mars in 30 years or so. I definitely believe we will reach the irony dusty world before the year 2050.

Back OnT,

I am not a religious person AT ALL, but nonetheless I respected him greatly, and I was saddened as well when I heard the news.

[El_Phil]

Yeah but getting to Mars is a beast of an engineering project, and when was the last one of those that ever came in on schedule?

That's assuming it doesn't get canned. Let's face it in four years time there's a new Presidente who may decide not to spunk the GDP of several large African countries on going to Mars. So getting to Mars before 2050, could happen, but equally it could get kicked into the long grass by a different administration.

[Frederick_d_Ohlmann]

Strategia_In_Ultima said:
Errm Phil, with Bush's plans we'll be reaching Mars in 30 years or so. I definitely believe we will reach the irony dusty world before the year 2050.

Back OnT,

Before 2050 ?? I would be very surprised. There is plenty of problêms that need lot of money, and funds are lacking for that. Remember that for now mars mission are below 50% success