Pope Francis arranges for homeless man to be buried in the Vatican

The Guardian ^ | 26 February 2015

[Gamecock]

A homeless man has been buried in the exclusive Teutonic Cemetery within the Vatican....

His burial in a cemetery normally reserved for senior German clerics was funded by a donation from a German family.

[Gamecock]

Full title and subtitle:

Pope Francis arranges for homeless man to be buried in the Vatican

Willy, a Belgian who lived on the streets around St Peter’s, was buried in an exclusive cemetery
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Ya know, I have an issue with the whole idea of exclusive cemeteries. Naked we come into the world, and naked we leave.

In Charleston, SC there is a church cemetery and if you are a native Charlestonian you are buried in one section. If you are not a native you are buried across the street.

[Argus]

There goes the neighborhood!

[hondact200]

In Wisconsin there is Holy Hill (A Shrine, and a catholic cathedral) the priest that reside at the facility when they pass away are buried within the grounds cemetery. I really do not see anything wrong with a cemetery, so what the high German clerics are buried at a cemetery in Rome. What does some expect them to rise up and do something. Yes the vow of poverty and so forth, do you know how much it cost to bury someone nowdays. I am in the middle of placing a mother in a nursing home, the hang up is the burial trust that has to be set up. the life insurance has to be cashed in and the remaining amount in an irrevocable burial trust. The joys of watching a parent slowly destroyed by Alzheimer’s Disease is not fun.

[Alex Murphy]

On an earlier thread about the burial, a poster pointed out that the man had attended there for 25 years, and had to wait until he died to be helped. From that earlier news story:

“For over 25 years he attended the 7:00 Mass”, Fr. Silvestrini told Vatican Radio, explaining why he wanted a homeless among the shepherds in the Nativity Scene. “

[Gamecock]

Well, like the socialists like to say, Jesus was homeless.

[TexasGator]

“A homeless man has been buried in the exclusive Teutonic Cemetery within the Vatican in the latest sign of how Pope Francis’s concern for society’s most vulnerable is changing the way the Church does things. Willy, a Belgian who lived on the streets around St Peter’s until his death in December, was well known to many priests, some of whom used to bring him food, Vatican radio reported. He died after being hospitalised with the symptoms of exposure.”

hmmm.. Royal burial as a sign of concern for a guy that was left out to die.

[Gamecock]

Well, there is that. Died of exposure. And they knew him.

I guess if Frank was really concerned he could have put a cot in the Sistine Chapel.

[PetroniusMaximus]

Symbol
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Substance

[Regal]

This pope is truly demonstrating the heart of Jesus. I’m proud to follow God through this faith.

[DaxtonBrown]

“Pope Francis arranges for homeless man to be buried in the Vatican”

Personally, I think the Pope should wait till the guy dies before he buries him. I mean, just because the guy is homeless, you don’t have to bury him right away, maybe he could get a job someday.

[2nd amendment mama]

Pope Francis arranges for homeless man to be buried in the Vatican

However from the earlier article: Pope Francis was not involved in an early January decision to bury a homeless man in a Vatican cemetery, a spokesman said Wednesday; . the Pope had absolutely NOTHING to do with this man's life or his burial!!!

[2nd amendment mama]

This pope is truly demonstrating the heart of Jesus. I’m proud to follow God through this faith.

Wrong! The Pope had NOTHING to do with it. Read the previous article

And if he was demonstrating the heart of Jesus he would have done something while this 80 year old man was alive not when he died!

[2nd amendment mama]

EXACTLY!

[Scrambler Bob]

Then he won’t be homeless anymore.

Have to dig him up and get another homeless guy.

[Regal]

For you I pray that the lord will replace your heart of stone with a loving heart of flesh.

[Grateful2God]

We have a large cemetery here with different denominations, including our Jewish brethren. A Catholic had to be buried in hallowed, specially blessed, ground, or a mausoleum on such ground, in anticipation of the Final Resurrection. Keeping or spreading of ashes is not allowed, but I know folks who have done so. I imagine that the Jews have a similar precept to follow, as there is a lovely section designated and well-kept.

Many families are preplanning; some used to have it on their own property.

The professional organization that funeral directors belong to had a kind of charitable thing: if a person has no one, they take turns providing a funeral for them... Also, a plot cannot be sold at our cemetery for more than one originally paid.

At the rate the world is going, my head going to end up in one place, and the rest of me, God knows where...

As far as exclusive, remember the Vatican is its own country. The people that owned the plots in that cemetery may have had them for generations: or even bought the land for that purpose.

Just a thought...

[Grateful2God]

God bless you and your family, and give you strength!

[Grateful2God]

“He was very, very open and had made many friends. He spoke a lot with young people, he spoke to them of the Lord, he spoke of the Pope, he would invite them to the celebration of the Eucharist. He was a rich person, of great faith – said the pastor of St. Anne who added – there were prelates who brought him food on certain days. Then, we no longer saw him, and subsequently we heard about his death. I’ve never seen so many people knocking on my door to ask when the funeral was, how they could help to keep his memory alive … He never asked for anything, rather he was the one who would strike up a conversation and through his questions of faith, suggest a spiritual path to those with whom he spoke”.

earlier thread

[RnMomof7]

Before you know it his bones will preform a miracle and he will be the first hobo saint ...patron of the homeless..