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Why you shouldn't put the Pope in cryogenic storage

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Anonymous

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Not so much Fortean, but a tasty helping of irony here. The Catholic church stands for pro-life, including a stance against voluntary euthanasia. However, according to this report the Catholic constitution has no provision for a pontiff who is rendered incapable of his duties whilst still technically alive. JP2 isn't looking too healthy these days - turmoil in the ranks ensues....
 
Funnily enough i was reading a novel a while back which dealt, in part, with just the problems you have described. It was called Eminence, and I can't for the life of me remember who it was by.
 
There is always the apocryphal 'man with the silver hammer'...
 
'Eminence' is by Morris West.

I can't help thinking John XXIII is looking a lot better than John-Paul II (see this months FT)
 
therion said:
There is always the apocryphal 'man with the silver hammer'...
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I had to look that one up...

For anyone else who was as equally uninformed as me I present this link to explain that reference...

http://www.hidden-knowledge.com/titles/magnificat/papalelection/papal_election.html

Going with various prelates and other ecclesiastical dignitaries to the death chamber, he taps the brow of the deceased Pontiff three times with a small silver hammer, and thrice calls him by his Christian name. Receiving no reply, he turns to those present and announces, "The Pope is indeed dead!" He then takes possession of the Fisherman's ring, which has been removed from the Pope's finger, and subsequently breaks it in the presence of his fellow Cardinals, at the first meeting of the Sacred College.
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So there you are... another archaic ritual which would put the freemasons to shame!

:D

Fascinating...
 
Is that where the song "Matthew's Silver Hammer' comes from? I never did understand those lyrics: "bang, bang, Matthew's Silver hammer came down upon his head, bang, bang Matthew's silver hammer made sure that he was dead"

just remembered - it's Maxwell not Matthew!
 
Is that where the song "Matthew's Silver Hammer' comes from? I never did understand those lyrics: "bang, bang, Matthew's Silver hammer came down upon his head, bang, bang Matthew's silver hammer made sure that he was dead"
 
Looks like the MB polt is mucking about again, reposting Meanderer's post without its 'edit'!
 
rynner said:
Looks like the MB polt is mucking about again, reposting Meanderer's post without its 'edit'!
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Ooo, I hadn't looked at the timing of each occurrence until you pointed it out. Freaky. :madeyes:
 
The silver hammer man

The apocryphal bit lies in the theory that the taps on the head are rather less than gentle, thus ensuring that the pontiff is really dead...
 
The modern hammer is tiny but I think the actual name of it is the Holy Maul. This does make you wonder since mauls are heavy wooden striking implements. A sculptors 'mallet' is actually a maul.

Anyway I heard a radio report that JPII is planning on stepping down.
 
intaglio said:
Anyway I heard a radio report that JPII is planning on stepping down.
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Not according to this report:-

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_588250.html

Ananova :



Pope makes it clear he intends to stay on

Pope John Paul II has made it clear he has no intention of stepping down, three days before his 82nd birthday.

The frail Pope, who suffers from the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and knee and hip ailments, received birthday greetings from pilgrims during his general audience in St Peter's Square.

John Paul marks his birthday on Saturday, four days before departing on a five-day trip to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.

He responded: "I count on your spiritual support to continue faithfully in the ministry that the Lord entrusted to me."

Vatican officials have frequently said John Paul, now in the 24th year of his papacy, is not considering resignation.

Church law allows a pope to resign but there is no provision to force him from office.

Story filed: 11:42 Wednesday 15th May 2002
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However according to this report a possible candidate for the job is expecting a snazzy new wardrobe, bulletproof car and worldwide religion to be advertised in the job section sooner rather than later.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_589365.html

Ananova :



Cardinal says ailing Pope has the courage to resign

A possible candidate to be the next pontiff says he thinks Pope John Paul II will "have the courage" to resign if poor health leaves him unable to carry out his ministry.

Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras, was asked by journalists what the Pope should do if his increasingly frail health leaves him unable to govern the Church.

The cardinal said he thought John Paul "would have the courage" to quit if the pope should realise that he had reached the point at which he could no longer carry out his mission.

Only a day earlier, the Pope, during his weekly public audience, made clear he has no intention of stepping down.

The Pope, who suffers from the symptoms of Parkinson's disease as well as knee and hip ailments, turns 82 on Saturday.

He told the audience: "I count on your spiritual support to continue faithfully in the ministry that the Lord entrusted to me."

Vatican officials have frequently said that John Paul, now in the 24th year of his papacy, is not considering resignation. Church law allows a pope to resign but there is no provision to force him from office.

The 59-year-old charismatic, well-spoken Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga is seen by many as one of the potential candidates in the next election for Pope.

Rodriguez Maradiaga is not the first high-ranking prelate to say he thought the Pope might resign if he couldn't do his job.

Two years ago, a top German bishop, Karl Lehmann, said he thought the Pope would step down if he thought he could no longer lead the church. And one of Europe's most influential cardinals, Belgium's Godfried Danneels, has called for debate on limiting the term of the papacy. He has said he "wouldn't be surprised" if the Pope eventually retired.

Story filed: 14:51 Thursday 16th May 2002
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There is also the apocryphal papal throne in which the newly elected pope sits while a cardinal reaches in through a special hatch to check that the pope has male sexual organs.

See "The She-Pope" by Peter Stanford
 
Mike P said:
There is also the apocryphal papal throne
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Which is actually an ancient commode, presumably to make those long audiences a little easier...;)
 
OK now he has officially shuffled off this mortal coil I'd like to return to the silver hammer:

The Pope's death is officially determined by the Cardinal Chamberlain by gently tapping the late Pope's head thrice with a silver hammer and calling his birth name three times.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope

so is the reason lost in the Mists of Time? I couldn't believe it when I was told about it today and I'm curious to know why!!

Is it in case he tries to rise from the dead they can splat his zombie brain?
 
One wonders if they still actually do it or whether they take a "let's not, and say we did" kind of attitude. And what happens if he has a muscle spasm at the critical moment? Feel the fear boys!
 
Emperor said:
OK now he has officially shuffled off this mortal coil I'd like to return to the silver hammer:

The Pope's death is officially determined by the Cardinal Chamberlain by gently tapping the late Pope's head thrice with a silver hammer and calling his birth name three times.
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope

so is the reason lost in the Mists of Time? I couldn't believe it when I was told about it today and I'm curious to know why!!

Is it in case he tries to rise from the dead they can splat his zombie brain?
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I heard that one of the Popal Pals says to "Are you dead?"

FFS!
 
surely the silver hammer thing is an insurance against announcing the death of a live pope, it could all go horribly Monty Python, (the bring out your dead bit from the holy grail)
 
I did a quick Google to check if it is being used on the current passed away pontiff:

The camerlengo, now Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo of Spain, must then verify the death — a process that in the past was done by striking the forehead of the pope with a silver hammer. The camerlengo then calls out to the pope three times by his baptismal name — Karol, Karol, Karol. When the pope does not respond, the camerlengo then announces "the pope is dead."

The camerlengo then uses the silver hammer to smash the pope's ring, the "ring of the fisherman," to preclude forgery of official documents.
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www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/R ... echnology/

The Vatican official who spoke anonymously revealed new details about the immediate aftermath of the pope's death. He put to rest speculation that the pope's death had been confirmed by the centuries-old tradition of a tap to the forehead with a small silver hammer. "We have more modern ways," he said. "It would be an anachronism."
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www.marinij.com/Stories/0,1413,234~2441 ... 47,00.html

In past eras, the chamberlain is said to have authenticated a pope's death by tapping his forehead three times with a silver hammer and calling out his name three times.

On Saturday, confirmation was by means of 20 minutes of monitoring with a special electrocardiograph.
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http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/artic ... ln03p.html

Officials did not resort to the traditional methods of establishing the pope's death, which include knocking on his head with a silver hammer. Instead, they subjected his body to 20 minutes of electro-cardiograph tests.
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Source

It all starts with a method of determination of death that would raise every scientist’s hackles: If the Cardinal Camerlengo, a high-ranking cardinal appointed by the pope, calls him three times by his name with no response (until 1903, this was done by striking the pope’s forehead with a silver hammer), death is pronounced and the ceremonial chain reaction set in motion.
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www.howestreet.com/mainartcl.php?ArticleId=1092

So it hasn't been done since 1903?

I'm still curious about the origins.
 
The Snopes page has been recently updated to include current speculation:

www.snopes.com/religion/hammer.asp

Interestingly it is mentioned in the Catholic Encyclopedia but not in this context:

All this describes a rite which has lasted unchanged to the present day, and which has nearly always supplied the principal subject depicted upon the long series of Jubilee medals issued by the various popes who have opened and closed the holy door at the beginning and end of each Jubilee year. Each of the four basilicas has its holy door. That of St. Peter's is opened on the Christmas Eve preceding the anno santo by the pontiff in person, and it is closed by him on the Christmas Eve following. The pope knocks upon the door three times with a silver hammer, singing the versicle "Open unto me the gates of justice". The masonry, which has been loosened beforehand, is made to fall in at the third blow, and, after the threshhold has been swept and washed by the Jubilee penitentiaries, the pope enters first. Each of the holy doors at the other basilicas is similarly opened by a cardinal specially deputed for the purpose. The symbolism of this ceremony is probably closely connected with the idea of the exclusion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, and the expulsion and reconciliation of penitents according to the ritual provided in the Pontifical. But it may also have been influenced by the old idea of seeking sanctuary, as Tafur and Rucellai suggest. The sanctuary knocker of Durham Cathedral still remains to remind us of the important part which this institution played in the life of our forefathers.
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www.newadvent.org/cathen/08531c.htm

See also;

NEAR THE END OF DECEMBER of this year, Pope John Paul will go to the entrance of St. Peter's basilica and strike the "holy door" with a small silver hammer. This will signal the official opening of Jubilee 2000, the holy year commemorating the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus.
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www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa38 ... i_n8850792
 
Mighty_Emperor said:
So it hasn't been done since 1903?
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The Pope who died in 1903 was Leo XIII. The description of his death in his biography reads that a candle was advanced to his lips three times, presumably to determine whether he was still breathing. No mention of a silver hammer.
 
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