'Make him a saint'

[emad]

By Valentine Low In Rome, Evening Standard
8 April 2005

It was the greatest funeral the world had seen. In an extraordinary display of love and religious fervour, millions of people crammed the streets of Rome to see Pope John Paul II laid to rest.

Such was the high emotion of the occasion that the mass was held up for five minutes as the pilgrims packed into St Peter's Square applauded and chanted "santo subito" - make him a saint immediately.

Just how many of the faithful turned out to say goodbye was almost impossible to say.

Up to five million people are estimated to have poured into the city in the last few days, more than doubling the normal population. The streets around the Vatican, where thousands camped out overnight, were so crowded no one could move.

http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/17793528?source=Evening%20Standard&ct=5

[onehandle]

1. What about St. Reagan?

Oh, right. It's in his name.

[emad]

2. & St Poppy, patron saint of TheoCons....

...

[gauguin57]

3. To be a saint, JP II will need miracles attributed to him. So ...

... let's all pray to him for something good ... like Bush's impeachment. The downfall of the neocons. An end to the war in Iraq and the return of the troops.

If it happens, they can saint-ify the ol' dude for all care.

[Mz Pip]

6. Works for me

If Bush resigns in the next 9 days and takes Cheney and Hastert with him, I'll support JP II for sainthood.

It might even turn me into a believer.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[emad]

4. Pope Already a Saint, Mourners Say

According to church rules, the first step in the long road to sainthood doesn't even start until five years after a candidate's death. That is because church leaders want time for emotions to cool and to collect evidence of sainthood.

Pope John Paul II did bend the rules himself, however. Following the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, he waived the five-year rule and allowed the process to begin in 1999, just two years after her death.

If Poland has its way, the rules will be bent for their national hero, too.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1546243,00.html

Rules? Nothing in the Bible that says God gives permission to elevate anyone to supernatural hierarchy...

[bigluckyfeet]

9. If You Are a True Christian

You are already a saint.

[TahitiNut]

5. I read somewhere that the College of Cardinals can acclaim him a Saint.

I don't know if this is specific to the mourning period or in convocation, but it seemed to be a long-held tradition. Anybody know more? :shrug:

[emad]

7. Three miracles before any beatification. And yes it has to be an

actual Pontiff that does the canonisation.....

[Matilda]

13. It can be done by Acclamation, without the necessary miracles

being witnessed. That's how it used to be done until some time
in the 16th century, then the rules were formalised and I don't know
if it happening since those days, although there was a move after
John XXIII's death to have him declared a saint by acclamation, but
Paul VI preferred to do it in the customary way.

[Roland99]

8. Doesn't he have to have had performed two miracles?

What would those be?

Surviving an assassination attempt and stomaching a meeting with the Propagandist w/o losing his lunch?

[Matilda]

14. John Paul changed the rurles so that there now has to be only

one miracle for beatification, and one more after beatification for
canonisation. I suspect he did that to enable him to rush through
many more canonisations than would otherwise have been possible. It
made him very popular in lots of local communities who now have their
own official saints.

I don't agree with so many saints being made - IMO, saintly human
beings are really pretty rare, and I think he turned the whole thing
into a bit of a joke. It had far more to do with politics than with
religion.

And I'm afraid he wouldn't get my vote - certainly not before dear
old Pope John, who was a far more worthy human being.

[kenny blankenship]

10. And Protestants call them idolators

Can you believe the nutty ideas people get?

[AngryOldDem]

11. Just how is this "nutty?""

Just asking.

[Zerex71]

12. Just an old Polish bureaucrat with a mitre.

Undeserving of sainthood.

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

15. DimSon didn't burst into flames

as he entered the chursh...

NOW THAT'S a what I would have called a miracle...

Or maybe, only his JUST DUE...

In any case, a big resounding NO from this Irish American Catholic who watched this Pope turn a blind eye to the "Troubles" and the economic disparity in South and Central America...

There are 561 million Christians in the European Union, a lot of them Catholics, but only 10% of them are regular Church-goers...

So lighten-up on the saint stuff, would you?

just sayin...

[Swamp Rat]

16. He had his chance and BLEW IT!

The fucker was sitting a few feet from him, right within his grasp! He could've petitioned Jesus to reach down from the sky and pinch off his little head right then and there! THEN he would've deserved sainthood!!! :mad:



He fucking BLEW IT!!! :grr:

[DiverDave]

17. Just ask all the abused children if he is

If he didn't participate, he SURELY knew about and helped to cover for pedophile priests...

Saint?
nope.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3427440

[shadowknows69]

18. good to see even pentinent pilgrims

have adopted the "I want it all, I want it now" attitude about life. The church has rules about sainthood. Hvae respect for your own rule of law.

[radfringe]

19. press-puppies have already made bush into a saint

meanwhile --- :evilgrin: I don't understand why bush* went to the funeral in the first place -- he and his choir are always saying that he doesn't look at or pay attention to Poles.... :evilgrin:

:spank:

[emad]

20. Next pope can decide fast-track halo for John Paul

April 9, 2005 3:50 PM

Next pope can decide fast-track halo for John Paul

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - "Santo Subito," the crowds shouted. "Make him a saint now!"

That demand, chanted and written on huge banners at Pope John Paul's funeral on Friday, willleave a quandary for his successor.

Sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church usually takes decades or even centuries to achieve.But for John Paul, the popular verdict is clearly in and the next pope has effectively been servednotice from the rank and file that he must act.

Church rules say the first step to sainthood, known as "opening a cause", cannot start until fiveyears after a death.

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5670598&cKey=1113054632000

[liberalnurse]

21. I have always understood that to be

given Sainthood, one must have documented two miracles, that which has been recognized as valid by the Church.


I do not recall any miracle preformed by Pope John Paul II.

[emad]

23. Not barring Shrub & Poppy from the funeralfest was, to some, a

saintly and unselfish act......

[Orsino]

24. The miracles will come.

People who believe will report them, particularly the people who want John Paul santified.

[Pepperbelly]

22. I bet they won't do what the one Pope did back in the day ...

He had his predecessor's body disinterred and tied to the Papal throne while he excommunicated him. He then had the body thrown in the Tiber.

It did not end well for the Great Excommunicator.