Re: [OT] John Paul The Second is dead :(

...actually on reflection... I think I had better say that isn't my odd sense of humour breaking out again... no offence intended folks :o)

Neil, I'm sure there could be some people who would be offended by your initial statement. However, I have felt for several years that the humane thing would have been to let that wonderful man retire with grace and not suffer in public like he has been. I'm not Catholic, so maybe I don't understand these things.

jk

He did not want to retire, he was showing everyone how you should fight to carry on with as full of a life as long as you can.

well as you may know sometimes I work in an old folks home so I am actually kind of glad to see that the elderly and infirm are not discarded and closeted away from public view as so often they are but imho it would have been more appropriate to hand on the papal responsibilities to someone with more vitality a while ago...he still could have had public veneration etc as for example the Queen Mother had...I am not a Catholic either but I know from my experience at the home when the time has come for friends,family to let go of their expectations that the elderly person interact and participate in life as they have done in the past.... imho it verged on the somewhat indecent to have him sitting up in the window in his robes giving blessings with a tube inserted but there you go...I am sorry if that upsets any one....he was a good man.