Millions Bid Farewell to Pope at Funeral

Yahoo News ^ | April 8, 2005 | Victor Simpson

[NYer]

German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger sprinkles holy water on the coffin of Pope John Paul II during his funeral in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican April 8, 2005. The poor and the powerful of the earth rubbed shoulders to say their last goodbye to the Pope on Friday as the Vatican staged one of the most momentous funerals in history for the Polish Pontiff. (Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)

[NYer]

French cardinal Roger Etchegaray (top) is embraced by one of a group of Orthodox priests before the funeral of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 8, 2005. The poor and the powerful of the earth rubbed shoulders to say their last goodbye to Pope John Paul on Friday as the Vatican staged one of the most momentous funerals in history for the Polish Pontiff. REUTERS/Jerry Lampen

Orthodox Ping!

[NYer]

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Pope John Paul II inside St. Peter's Basilica after the funeral mass at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican April 8, 2005. The poor and the powerful of the earth rubbed shoulders to say their last goodbye to the Pope on Friday as the Vatican staged one of the most momentous funerals in history for the Polish Pontiff. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[NYer]

French President Jacques Chirac (R) takes the arm of former U.S. President George Bush after the funeral mass of Pope John Paul II in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square April 8, 2005. The poor and the powerful of the earth rubbed shoulders to say their last goodbye to Pope John Paul on Friday as the Vatican staged one of the most momentous funerals in history for the Polish Pontiff. REUTERS/Yves Herman

One guest on Fox News this morning, made an astute observation about Pope John Paul II. She asked the commentator who else had ever brought three US Presidents to their knees? ;-D

U.S. President George W. Bush (L), First Lady Laura Bush, and former presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton pay homage to Pope John Paul II while viewing the late pontiff's body in the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica April 6, 2005.

[fatnotlazy]

Some very nice photos there. Thank you.

[el_doctor2]

There are some amazing photos of just how many people were there...Hundreds upon hundreds of thousands in the square alone.

[CitizenM]

Thanks for the ping...and pics. I have to go and take care of an unbearable migraine that began because I got up so early, did not eat...watched the Mass....smoked tons of cigarettes (I had stopped but the stress of the past two weeks was too much for a weakling like me, LOL) and drank way too much coffee.

I will offer my suffering up as a prayer to change the hearts of those that are still hardened and find joy in discrediting PJPII. It has really started already.

FOX was just interviewing a man from a Catholic organization who referred to several anti-pope websites. One of them was some pro-Hillary site where, he said, they stated that when PJPII went to Israel years ago, an ambulance followed him with several pints of blood. They said the reason was that if he needed blood for any reason while there, he did not want Jewish blood. See how ridiculously low these people will stoop to smear Our Holy Father? That really made my head ache more, so I have to go take some meds and turn out the lights. Catch you all later. Ciao JPII.

[RushCrush]

Photos appreciated BUMP

[NYer]

US President George Bush looks on as French President Jacques Chriac kisses the hand of Secretary of State Condollezza Rice, after the funeral mass for Pope John Paul II in St.Peter's Square at the Vatican, Friday, April 8, 2005. Bottom left is King Juan Carlos of Spain, top right is UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and centre rear is Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.(AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

[el_doctor2]

They are on most major networks (The Pictures)

[Truth666]

"Bill Clinton pay homage to Pope John Paul II "
The man that nailed the american coffin... if freepers in early 1999 could see this then...

[wordsofearnest]

Appreciate the photos. I got up at 2:50am(cdt) this morning to watch the funeral mass. I had forgotten how beautiful the Latin sounded. I wonder who the Iranian looking folks were in the crowd?

[NYer]

Cuban President Fidel Castro addresses the audience in Havana, April 7, 2005. President Castro talked for more than four hours about Pope John Paul II and his 1998 visit to the island, eulogizing him as a fierce critic of savage capitalism, Third World poverty, foreign debt, excessive consumerism, exploitation and war. Castro also said that the Pope had been falsely portrayed as an 'angel of death for Communism and Socialism' when the truth was he had become U.S. imperialism's 'biggest headache.' PICTURE TAKEN APRIL 7 REUTERS/Courtesy AIN

[fatnotlazy]

I've heard anywhere from 2 million to 5 million have come to Rome...something like a million or so just from Poland.

Good. They drown out the few inconsiderate louts who would denigrate the Pope even in death.

[SAMS]

I'm wondering when the MSM will still deluging us with photos of Kennedy/Kerry/Pelosi crying crocodile tears.

[dead]

The world mourns ... crowds heading towards St Peter's Square at the
Vatican for the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Photo: AP

Ready, aim ... anti-aircraft missiles, part of the Italian defence system,
are displayed near Rome for the funeral of the Pope. Italian authorities
readied anti-aircraft rocket launchers and took other security measures
to protect the dignitaries converging on Rome for the funeral. Photo: AP

[Kolokotronis]

"French cardinal Roger Etchegaray (top) is embraced by one of a group of Orthodox priests before the funeral of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 8, 2005."

Not just priests, probably a Patriarch or Archbishop and some Metropolitans.

[fatnotlazy]

I'm wondering when the MSM will still deluging us with photos of Kennedy/Kerry/Pelosi crying crocodile tears.

***

And I'm wondering how much it's costing us taxpayers to send these bums over there just for the photo ops.

[CitizenM]

Duh! I was really going to go to bed. Then I read this. Oh, that petty little demon Castro. Remember when PJPII went there and Castro wore a suit? Everyone thought it was out of respect. IMHO I always figured Castro was just plain frightened of the Pope. He knew where he was going to go when he (Castro himself) died, so he was trying very hard to get a little good grace from John Paul,II. It was for a personal reason, not out of political/official respect.

Now he has turned that visit into one of support of communism?! LOL, tell that to the party that held Poland. Oh the poor people of Cuba, they are so cut off from the world, it is like they are on another planet. What will happen when Castro dies? When reality reaches them they will go bezerk with confusion.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

An interesting convention of protocol: when a member of the laity is buried, the coffin "faces" the altar (feet first), when a member of the clergy is buried, the coffin "faces" the congregation (head first).