Text of Pope's Last Will and Testament

Associated Press ^ | April 7, 2005 | Associated Press

[Bush2004]

I guess there is elegance in simplicity after all.

[kellynla]

BTTT

[goldstategop]

"Spiritual Exercises" - there is a work of the title by Ignatius Of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Daisy4]

That was my first thought when I read this!!

[Williams]

I am reading all the stories saying the Pope had considered resigning. Maybe, but I can't find it in the texts. It seems he wondered how long God would have him serve as Pope, but that can easily be a reference to serving until death.

[1Peter3v14]

My thoughts exactly.

[BikerNYC]

Burial in the bare earth, not in a tomb.

Do the plans of the Vatican's powers-that-be conflict with this wish? Don't they want to put him in a tomb? Or is there bare earth somewhere in the church there?

[onyx]

This must be a "Reader's Digest" version.

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

I know you are at the March, but i knew you would like to see this.

[onyx]

He will be buried in Pope John XXIII's crypt which is
underground in soil.

[goldstategop]

He may have had doubts about his ability to continue serving but he never once relinquished his duty. There is no righteous man on Earth without sin - and to question God is not to betray Him but to love Him fully. The day Man stops trying to bring God closer to Him is the day that God will turn His Face away from us. We do not want to see that day ever come.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[BikerNYC]

Okay. I thought I saw a picture of it and it seemed to rise above the floor. Is he buried in that raised part or does the tomb actually go down into the ground?

[watsonfellow]

Oh please, you anti-Marian prods should really go to LaShawn Barber's site to preach your "the pope is going to hell" nonesense (she is quite the Calvinist, and to be honest, I think she is a rather overrated blog....somewhat of the JC watts treatment if you know what I mean).........

Clearly the Supreme Pontiff devoted his papacy and life to our Blessed Virgin Mary..

If you have a problem with that, kindly keep you foul opinions to yourself.

[brooklyn dave]

Well obviously you don't understand the relationship Catholics (amd Eastern Orthodox) have with the Virgin Mary. We don't worship her (only God can be worshipped) but we see her as an advocate and loving mother. As she is the mother of Christ, she is the mother of the Church and thus the mother of us all. Many Protestants see this as taking away from Christs's glory and wonder if we treat Mary as sort of a goddess. No she was human, but by God's special grace--sinless. Please don't think of this devotion as satanic or dark because it isn't.

[MineralMan]

"As a Christian, I get dark (satanic born) chills reading this, with repeated passages like "I place into the hands of the Mother of My Master: Totus Tuus" UGGH!"

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So, from these words, do you feel that the Pope is not a Christian? How odd.

[Luddite Patent Counsel]

Ignorance is a scary thing. It's no wonder you get the heebie-jeebies so easily. There are plenty of resources on the internet from which you could learn about the affinity of all Catholics for Mary, which is most decidely not of "satanic" origin. You are logged in, aren't you? If you can't find any on your own, let me know and I'll toss you a URL or two.

[1Peter3v14]

Maybe if you read the Bible instead of listening to a mere man you'd know what God finds repulsive. Read the Bible if you have one and you will discover that God will have no other gods (or godesses) before him. Mary was mother of Jesus...period. She deserves no worship and has no power to do anything for you. There is one mediator between God and man, that's Jesus Christ. The Pope put his trust in the wrong person.