Re: The Pope
 

My, how well your english is inproving Xiango.......fancy.;)

Re: The Pope
 

Not being disrespectful or anything but I agree. I also think that it is bad how they put his dead body on the news. It shocked me, not that I haven't seen one before (occupational hazard) but My children were watching that and I really did not want them to see a dead person, but as children do ''is that the pope mum??''' I said yes ''but he died mum!!'' me ''yes I know'' I thought here we go ''so is that a dead body??'' So then I had to explain. So no I don't think it is right that they put in on the news.

Re: The Pope
 

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Yes I agree with you there willow..........personal photo's maybe, but not all over the news (and close up) I really don't want to be asked questions on dead bodies off 5 and 7 year olds. They should not even have to think or worry about death so early on in life.

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My dad said something awhile ago that made me stop and think:

"As far as they [the children] are concerned, you two [my wife] will live forever"


I remember thinking that when I was a kid

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I wonder why they did it that way? Normally you would expect a "lying in state" and people to file by in homage. Maybe they thought the crowds were just too large or something. I do agree that it would have been more dignified that way.

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I think though there is a difference between accepting death and being open about it and then taking pictures of a corpse. In a way it is very morbid and I know I wouldnt find any comfort in having a picture of someones body who I loved or was close too.

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Maybe I want to hide DEAD BODIES away from my kids because, when I saw my nan (first dead body I had seen) at the age of 17 years old, I could not get the image out of my head and even dreamed about her everynight led dead in her coffin. Some thing I CAN protect my children with and that is seeing things like that, well until the news decided that EVERYONE including my kids should see the popes dead body. Yes doug I sgree with you it is undignified the way that they have delt with the body of the pope. And vorlon you are right 'i too believed that my parents would be around for ever'. I remember getting to about 13 years old and having the devistating realisation that 'THEY WON'T', and it hit hard for a couple of days.
Not only are children not comfortable with seeing dead bodies I know some adults that don't either (sorry tinks) but tinks is one of them. I am not sure if she saw it on the news but she has a genuin fear of seeing a dead body and, could not even go and say goodbye to our nan and grandad (which was hard) so people that have fears of seeing dead bodies had it forced on them yesterday if they was watching the news, which isn't right.

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I can see what you're saying slinky. I've never previously come across anyone who was afraid of seeing a dead body. Maybe it's just they way we are brought up and what we are familiar with.

I found it far more undignified and tasteless when the press printed photos of the people dead and dying in the tsunami and other disasters. To photograph them as they suffered and died was certainly OTT and uncalled for.

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Yep that I can agree with, It's disgusting and disrespectful. Imagine seeing that in the papers and it being one of your family, it just doesn't bare thinking about does it.

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I find it difficult to reconcile the Press and the Media calling the Pope "Great" and praising his dignity and bravery and then constantly force feeding us these distressing images.We don't need to see the photos to know he is gone.I think a lot of it is to because the last time a Pope died we didn't have 24 hour news and no way would the Vatican have been sending out health reports by text.It's a sign of the times and we can expect more of the same when other prominent people pass away.Oh ,by the way I am not religious but my condolences to my Catholic friends.

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The reasons for the complex ceremonial surrounding the death of the Pope are a result of doctrine and history. The papal succession was not always as orderly and civilised as it is today. Up until the seventeenth century it was not unusual for political factions to try to usurp papal authority, you have to remember that the pontificate conferred temporal power as well as great wealth. On the death of the Pope one of the first things to happen is that the ring he is given at his election, with which he seals church documents, is broken so that no one can misuse it to falsify documents.

Another important function of the funeral is to show to the faithful, the corpse of the Pontiff, to prove that he is in fact dead and that the papal throne is empty; In Sede Vacante, so that they are not lead into error by anyone who might attempt to usurp the Papal authority.

Christians believe, or should believe, that death is merely the transition from earthly life into immortal life. It is not something to be feared, rather it is something to be celebrated. This is the reason we hold wakes and believe in giving the deceased "a good send off"

There can be nothing embarrasing or unpalatable in explaining a basic fact of life to our children. If anything the sooner they get used to the idea the better. What is strange and odd however, is to want to cosset them and conceal the truth of their condition from them. How does this prepare them for life?

The preservation of tokens or relics of the dead is an activity that is as old as humanity, photography is merely an extension of this.