Police turn away tide of humanity at Vatican ( viewings are fini)

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 8:06 p.m. ET April 6, 2005

VATICAN CITY - After electronic highway signs and cell phone messages failed to stanch the flow of pilgrims, police Wednesday turned back mourners hoping to join the 24-hour line to view the body of Pope John Paul II, on a day that brought about 1 million people to the Vatican, jamming streets as they waited to pay their final respects to the pontiff, lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica since Monday.

“It’s possible there are 1 million people out there,” said Luca Spoletini of the Civil Defense Department. “They are all concentrated outside St. Peter’s ... We are all working to ensure maximum tranquility.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3305285/

MKJ

[Catch22Dem]

1. That's because he's rotting!!!

I mean, come on!

[boneygrey]

2. Oh that just ain't right n/t

[seriousstan]

3. While his corpse may be rotting his soul is bathing in well deserved Light

[donheld]

5. If you say so

I won't argue

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. Uh, yeah, I have to admit, that was my first thought, too

The whole scene out there is getting more bizarre by the day. MKJ

edited to add: I'm not Catholic, so I don't know about the rituals that accompany the death of a Pope. However, millions of people crowding around an unembalmed body just seems an unusual course of events.

MKJ

[MADem]

6. No, it's because the people now in line at the back

...will wait for eight to fourteen hours and just barely make it up to the viewing in time before it ends. They will shut the doors, scurry around and set up the chairs, clean the joint, and then in come the dignitaries. They will continue to keep him on view up to a few hours before the funeral, but they have put a NO MAS sign at what they see as the end of the line.

They embalmed good Pope John. No matter what they claim, they embalmed JP2 as well, IMHO.

[Riverman]

10. Death Cult

This is more evidence of the religious zeolots' death cult - these are not people who believe in, as George W. Bush likes to say, a "Culture of Life." Actions speak louder than words. This is not just an American South thing. Clearly there is a worldwide death cult. People standing in line for 10-20 hours to spend 10 seconds to view a dead guy! And, as a result assign some spiritual meaning to the experience. He is dead, he smells, bury the poor bugger!

This is a Death Cult! People are not able to deal with actually being alive on this planet at this point in time. Creating heavan on earth is beyond their comprehension. The Rapture is about mass death! Death brings the believers to a better place!

Look at the news - Johnny Cochran died and thousands attended his funeral, the King of Monaco died - big news, who cares! Charlie and Carmela put off their wedding (life) to attend a Funeral (death) for a Papist, a Cathlolic Pope - (the irony is too much to bear!). Must keep up the charade - as long as the sheep buy it! we honor young people who join the military - to do what, what do armies do? As one General said recently, the purpose of a military is to destroy property and kill people. So these wonderful young people sign up to learn to kill people! Why do we honor such sociopaths?


Wake up Sheeple! Let's celebrate and practice a real Culture of Life! and actually live this life!

[Bridget Burke]

12. "a Papist, a Cathlolic (sic) Pope"

I assume you meant "Catholic" Pope--what other sort is there?

And I didn't know anybody but Ian Paisley still used the word "Papist." Bit of a throwback, aren't you?

[Zynx]

7. Well, the funeral is on Friday, it takes 24 hours to get to see him...

You do the math.

[KoKo]

8. Odd....NPR news said this afternoon that the crowds were thinning

and that most had managed to see the Pope by this afternoon. Interesting there would be such a difference in this reporting...

[rodeodance]

9. I find it all quite moving.

[Piperay]

11. I do too and

I am not Catholic or religious but I guess I envy people that can believe in something that strongly.

[MADem]

13. I strongly urge EVERYONE to watch the funeral mass

Even the cynics making snarky comments....because there is going to be a shot worth seeing in that Basilica. Apparently, our own chimp is being seated close by PRESIDENT KHATAMI of Iran....and ya know what? He has NO SAY in where he gets seated! Grin and bear it, weecowboy!

And you think il Papa didn't have a sense of humor????

[dbt]

14. This wouldn't have had anything to do with the arrival of

Bush, bu$h and Clinton, would it? Nah, prolly just more Coincidence Theory...

[emad]

15. Sobs as queue is closed

By Valentine Low In Rome, Evening Standard
7 April 2005

It could be four million, it could even be five.

But however many mourners have flooded into Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, the phenomenal influx has so overwhelmed the city that the Vatican has stopped people joining the queue to see his body - a full 24 hours before they will finally close the doors of the Basilica to prepare him for interment.

It will, they fear, take a whole day for the great mass of the faithful already queuing - 30 deep in places - to file past the Pope's body inside St Peter's.

Rome is already a city in chaos, with the streets around the Vatican closed to traffic. Thousands of mourners arrive by the hour, and city officials have admitted they underestimated how many would come from around the world.

http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/17768039?source=Evening%20Standard

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

16. "We are all working to ensure maximum tranquility."

Best... line... ever.