[HairOfTheDog]

Sorry for you Rosie. I hope that the pope you love has peace soon, and that the new pope will also bring you comfort and solid leadership.

The news of the coming weeks will give us all a fresh look at your very familiar traditions. I know for you this loss is very personal, but I am actually enjoying the insight into Catholic traditions, and the marvelous history and magnificent architecture and beauty of the Catholic churches on my television screen. MSNBC has been showing scenes from the Vatican and other beautiful cathedrals all morning.

[SuziQ]

It is amazing that these same traditions have been followed for centuries without much change. There are some that I had never heard about. I was reading a blog excerpt about the sequence of events when a Pope dies, and the mechanics of the conclave to elect a new one.

John Paul II has been Pope for so long, that there are LOTS of people who either have never seen this, or were too young when he was made Pope to remember it. It is a very profound event.

It is also somewhat cathartic, after the last two weeks of anguish with Terri Schiavo, that the Pope is approaching death with such peace and tranquility, and in our sadness we can be happy for him, as well.