Although i am not a Catholic, a man such as the Pope has to be given his due respect.

To all Catholics, my condolences.

Hmm

I dont agree that he was a good pope. The Paedophile scandal in America happened under his watch. The anti condom thing and its effects on AIDS in Africa is his shame. No I wont lament him.

I must add though that the behaviour of the vatican during the last few years of that Pope's life was disgraceful. Any other man of similar age and condition would be in a home being cared for. He would not be propped up at windows to speak, shipped about the world be held up as some sort of sick spectacle. They should have let him go gracefully. Severly sick with Parkinsons and being gawped at doddering about him and there shuffling along. I wouldnt treat an enemy of mine like that in his old age let alone a man I supposedly revere.

Which brings me to Catholicism. As a ex Catholic I do not like the celebrity of the Pope and the reverence of a man despite who his title stems from or his authority. He is only a man. Worship and tears and reverence should be reserved forGod through Jesusnot a man in a white robe.People should not be prostrating themselves and bawling for a man on earth. Where does God fit in? The status of the Pope grew and grew over the years and I belive the structure of the Vatican and the church itself to be incompatible with the spirit of the religion and its teachings. Catholics themselves should be thinking seriously about such things...

OK Just got home from work and am watching BBC news 24. Interviewing Catholics in America... They have statements like
"I hope the next Pope is not as conservative"
"The world has changed, the Vatican needs to change"
"People today dont follow all that strict doctrine anymore, the Pope should be more libeal"
Now is it me or is that retarded thinking?? That because the people and society has changed, the religion should follow? So if marriage became unfashionable then religion should no longer emphasise it?. They had Gay Catholic (oxymoron that) andother disenfranchisedCatholic groups obviously pleased at John Paul's death and hoping for a new different Pope, though they made all the right noises about being sorrowful LOL. They launched straight in to wishing the next Pope is radically different.
I have always said that religion follows people and social trends over a long timeie WE make up the rules and doctrine behind the book as we go along. Didnt expect religious people themselves to acknowledge it in such a way. Good grief!!

I'm just waiting for pictures of Africans wailing and crying Ala princess Di styleee.....You it has to come don't you..

""I dont agree that he was a good pope. The Paedophile scandal in America happened under his watch. The anti condom thing and its effects on AIDS in Africa is his shame. No I wont lament him. I must add though that the behaviour of the vatican during the last few years of that Pope's life was disgraceful. Any other man of similar age and condition would be in a home being cared for. He would not be propped up at windows to speak, shipped about the world be held up as some sort of sick spectacle. They should have let him go gracefully. Severly sick with Parkinsons and being gawped at doddering about him and there shuffling along. I wouldnt treat an enemy of mine like that in his old age let alone a man I supposedly revere.

Which brings me to Catholicism. As a ex Catholic I do not like the celebrity of the Pope and the reverence of a man despite who his title stems from or his authority. He is only a man.""

..Id agree with that much.

"The Mystery is the mystery and the man is just the man"

Jamal

Another way for me to say it would be that, things in Rome have gone on for such an extent over the centuries of European control, that the Pope, the mere man, has replaced Jesus himself as the international symbol of Catholicism.

ok, i see what you mean. I'd agree with that too. The divine status the pope is given is ridiculas. Its as if weve reverted back to the dark ages when kings were seen as divine. Whats even worse is that, give it a few years and the new pope that is elected will be seen the same way. its as if people just refuse to question what a man in a white collar tells them on a sunday morning. Anyway, to each his own. I know I wont be standing out in the cold shedding tears over this man.

It is right what you said though, with the status he had he could have done so much but did not. I personally am sad a life has ended as I would for any other life and those that are greiving, but have no gratitude for him.

I think that even Princess Di done more then him in recent years. At least she tried to make it look like she cared for the poor and needy of tnis world..... obviously whilst in between taking chauffeur driven rides to Harrods to shop for prada and men!

He's got my condolences...

Although I disagreed with him accepting or anyone else refering to him as "holy father"...a title reserved only for God...I still think he was a pretty honorable man.

He wasn't afraid to speak truth to power and gave Bush a piece of his mind several times.







Chubby:

No offense to anyone out there that is Catholic but I could care less. To me the pope was an evil man from an evil roman catholic church that tries to conceal the truth. If I know the truth, the pope thats like old as hell has to know whats going on yet he says or does nothing about it. I feel more bad more Jonny Cochran dieing then the pope. Just my views.


Ha ha, hoody hooooooo........

blkpokeNow why would any Catholics take offense to that?

joshua,
i have met many ignorant people in my life but you take the cake and the biscuit.
you are really on your own planet aint you?

if you wish to call me 'holy' then that is by your own doing, not mine.

a man that has over a BILLION followers in the world at least deserves respect.

even the great Salah Uddin respected the king of enland who led the crusades to arabia.

the Prophet himself (pbuh) showed respect and dignity to the enemies of his time so as to prove that he is nothing but a mercy for the world.

true islam teaches us that you shouldnt hate those that are different from you, you should love so they can see a good example.

When one dies, no matter what he has done on this earth, should be lefted alone. So, please keep your views to yourself when talking about the died.