Pope writes of his death, rules out resignation in epic poem

smh ^

[chance33_98]

Pope writes of his death, rules out resignation in epic poem

March 7 2003

Pope John Paul has written about his own death for the first time and indirectly ruled out his resignation in a three-part epic poem published yesterday.

In the work, entitled Roman Triptych, he wrote that the next papal election would take place after his death.

Meditating on the role he has played for the past 25 years, since being elected to the highest power in the Catholic church on October 16, 1978, he wrote: "And so it will be again, when it becomes necessary, after my death."

On his own death, the seriously ill 82-year-old pontiff wrote: "That which was well-formed, will be misshapen-shapen. That which was alive - is now lifeless. That, which was beautiful - is now ugly desolation. I do not die completely, when that which is in me lasts on indestructibly."

In the 11-page work, which is written in parts in prose and in parts in verse, the pope also meditates on present-day Iraq, the ancient homeland of Abraham.

However, he did not go into the looming threat of war.

Translation of excerpts of papal poetry

Excerpts from the official English translation of Pope John Paul's Roman Tryptich.

Part I The Stream

What are you saying to me, mountain stream? Where, in which place, do we meet? Do you meet me who is also passing - just like you. ... If you want to find the source, you have to go up, against the current, tear through, seek, don't give up, you know it must be somewhere here. Where are you, source? Where are you, source?!

Part II Meditations on the Book of Genesis At the threshold of the Sistine Chapel

Those to whom the care of the legacy of the keys has been entrusted gather here, allowing themselves to be enfolded by the Sistine's colours, by the vision left to us by Michelangelo - so it was in August, and then in October, of the memorable year of the two Conclaves, and so it will be again, when the need arises after my death.

Fulfillment - Apocalypsis

The End is as invisible as the Beginning.

The universe emerged from the Word, and returns to the Word.

Right at the heart of the Sistine Chapel, the artist shows this invisible End

in the visible drama of the Judgment -

And this invisible End became visible as the highpoint of clarity:

ominia nuda et aperta ante oculos Eius.

The words recorded by Matthew, here become the painter's vision:

"Come, you who are blessed ... depart from me, you accursed" ...

And so the generations pass - naked they come into the world and naked they return to the earth from which they were formed.

"From dust you came, and to dust you shall return"; all that had shape into shapelessness.

What was alive is now dead;

all that was beautiful is now the ugliness of devastation.

And yet I do not altogether die,

what is indestructible in me remains!

(From the Latin: Everything is disclosed and revealed before his eyes.)

[kcar]

Well assuming you say I falsely spoke of Papal infallibility I must be ignorant or deliberately dishonest about it let me plead honest ignorance.
I just rationally reject the Cathelickers beliefs is all.
ANy predigested worldview that only requires you to swallow
is pernicious.

[1rudeboy]

To avoid confusion in the future, please blockquote your text or separate it with quotation marks (example follows).

While all these developments were taking place, reservations and opposition began to be expressed by some [theologians] who feared the faith was becoming overpoliticized, and by others who mistrusted any use of Marxist categories in analyzing social structures. Also many were unable to accept the deep changes in the structure of capitalist society postulated by this theology.

I used your source, which apart from distinguishing between Catholic theory and Catholic doctrine, also makes no mention of a Papal imprimatur of liberation theology, other than briefly mentioning Paul VI's "balanced" recognition that the oppressed long to be liberated.

[Conservative til I die]

And yet it is still infallible - whatever he says. AMAZING!

Learn some Catholic doctrine before embarassign yourself in public.

[Conservative til I die]

You wouldn't be saying that if he was an atheist secular humanist like yourself.

[Conservative til I die]

If I may be so bold - the Baptist preachers I know understand that the only time they are infallible is when they are reading the Bible.

then how come if you speak to 20 baptist preachers you may get 20 different interpretations?

[Conservative til I die]

Wasn't the Pope.

[Conservative til I die]

Yup, just amazing! Here I thought Jesus Christ was the only infallible person. Guess Jesus didn't die for him. Seriously, this pope is nuts.

You're going on the word of an admitted bigot? Really, you of all people should know better. Shame on you.

[AD from SpringBay]

then how come if you speak to 20 baptist preachers you may get 20 different interpretations?

I think it depends on the passage in question. But, to consider your point, you may get 20 different interpretations because the preachers in question are not infallible. This would also happen if there were 20 different Popes. Just because there is only one Pope doesn't reduce his ability to make errors.

[Arthur McGowan]

Okay. Just be aware that Papal Infallibility is not the extravagant claim you made it out to be. Also, although there are Catholics who have no intellectual curiosity, and ask no questions, this in not an attitude that the Church has ever encouraged.

[Arthur McGowan]

If I may be so bold - the Baptist preachers I know understand that the only time they are infallible is when they are reading the Bible.

I'll bet most of them think they are infallibly proclaiming the truth when they say that the Bible is the only source of revealed truth--even though the Bible doesn't say that.