Yes, I *am* reverence impaired, thanksforasking.
Am I the only one who finds the constant news pictures of the Pope’s body a little creepy? I’m not so much on bodies. I don’t even like the fake dead on CSI and such.
I assume, though, that this is some sort of cultural thing. We’re accustomed to wrapping our dead in handsome caskets, as though we could ward off our own eventual death by prettifying the deaths of others. It occurs to me that the Vatican’s way is much more honest.
It still creeps me out, though.
What really gets me - and, like you, I don’t mean to be irreverant - is seeing the Pope’s feet sticking out. Who knew the Pope had feet?
I mean, we all knew he had feet...but I bet hardly any of us have, erm, noticed before. That’s a part of the Pope we never had our attention directed towards in the past, you know?
Posted by Queenie on 04/05 at 11:42 AMIn a lot of Catholic families, wakes are still common. You have a pint and a plate of cold cuts while you mill about the room, dead relative or friend lying there in the middle of it.
I think the shoe thing is cool.
Those were his favourite comfy shoes, and for me, it just reminds me that PJPII was a down-to-earth normal guy in many respects.
Posted by on 04/05 at 11:51 AMJo, that’s fascinating. I didn’t realize that. Thanks. I guess this is just so far out of my experience that it seems really strange.
Posted by Deb on 04/05 at 11:58 AMI don’t like open caskets, but they’re quite common. I never go to viewings, and sit way back in the church. They (her fundamentalist church folk) wanted to have my grandmother in an open casket and I put my foot down. Since I was the oldest grandchild, I was right in front and did a lot of the social obligations, and there was no way that casket was going to be open!
Posted by Ith on 04/05 at 01:04 PMIt is totally a cultural thing… I can’t think of any closed casket wakes in my family. And yes, there are kids running around, a plate of sandwiches and lots of drinking and telling stories about how great the deceased was.
I am actually creeped out by a closed casket - what if they have the wrong person there? What if the person isn’t dead? My imagination goes into overdrive… With an open casket you are very certain that you are there to honor that dead person.
Posted by liberty on 04/05 at 01:21 PMI am actually creeped out by a closed casket - what if they have the wrong person there? What if the person isn’t dead?
I think these questions are precisely why the custom of open caskets exists. Creepy and practical all at once.
Me no likey the open casket and I am quite creeped out by the Pope’s lying-in-state. Knowing that he has not been embalmed yet doesn’t help.
Oh, heh - the captcha is “open.”
Posted by jen on 04/05 at 03:09 PM