Pope John Paul's coffin to be exhumed for faithful

[somone]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110218/wl_nm/us_pope_johnpaul

Pope John Paul's coffin to be exhumed for faithful
By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Faithful attending the beatification of Pope John Paul in Rome will be able to pray before his coffin, which will be exhumed for the event, the Vatican said on Friday...

Italian authorities and Church officials say perhaps more than a million people may attend the mass at which John Paul, who died in 2005, will be declared a blessed of the Church and move one step closer to sainthood. The ceremony in St Peter's Square, one of several over three days, will hark back to the funeral of the charismatic pope, which was one of the biggest media events of the new century.

John Paul's wooden coffin will be exhumed from its current place in the crypts below St Peter's Basilica. After the beatification mass in the square it will be placed before the main altar inside the basilica. The closed coffin will remain there for viewing and veneration non-stop until everyone who wants to can see it, the Vatican said.

The night before the beatification ceremony, a prayer vigil will be held at Rome's massive Circus Maximus, the oval shaped field which was a racing track in ancient times. A mass of thanksgiving will be held in St Peter's Square on May 2, the day after the beatification, and then his remains will be moved to their new resting place in a side chapel of St Peter's Basilica...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's inside?
http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/Pics/Press/4-05/Press-4-8-05.htm

[madmax]

1. Not to knock religion

but this is so grotesque and really wtf is the point? Can't they just all gather in the Basilica and pray, chant or whatever it is they do?

[xxqqqzme]

2. And this is the 21st century?

[arcane1]

3. Ah pantheism, how strangely it makes people behave n/t

[frebrd]

4. Ghoulish!

Ewww!

As if sticking a body in a box to rot wasn't bad enough, they dig it up again and pray over it.

Primitive.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

5. That's gotta smell absolutely terrific

There's no amount of perfumes that can cover up the odor of rotting corpse.

[trotsky]

6. This does not help dispel Christianity's reputation as a Death Cult. n/t

[LuvNewcastle]

7. Come on.

A little bit of corpse worship never hurt anyone.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Isn't it time they chopped him up?

That's what they do if they want to reach as many faithful as possible for veneration:

The remains of a Carmelite nun hailed as "the greatest saint of modern times" has begun a tour of England and Wales in one of the most important events for British Roman Catholics since the visit of Pope John Paul II 27 years ago.
...
St Thérèse's body was divided into three after her death, and the relics on display here comprise portions of her thigh and foot bones. The remainder are in France.

According to the Catholic Church, the relics have great powers. "Wherever they have gone, many people have experienced conversion, healing, a renewed sense of vocation and answers to their prayers," a spokesman said.

http://www.stjosephs-birtley.co.uk/sttherese.htm

Of course, it helps that she can be in three places at once. While most of her remains are resting in Lisieux, one casket of relics is touring France while another visits followers further afield.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/09/22/why-st-therese-of-lisieux-is-the-hottest-ticket-in-town-115875-21691027/

[BeFree]

10. heh

That 3 part disharmony is enough to turn millions of people...atheist.

I see now why some are. Can't blame 'em.

[Angry Dragon]

9. Sick people

:banghead:

[ZombieHorde]

11. Hahahahahahahahaha!

They're digging up a corpse to help them chitchat with their imaginary friend. Fucking hilarious! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!