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How does the Vatican tell the pope is dead?
Dekron
Member UncommonPosts: 7,359
A little barbariac I think.
The formal Vatican tradition goes like this:
When a pope dies, the prefect of the papal household, currently American Archbishop James Harvey, tells the camerlengo, or chamberlain, who is the most important official running the Holy See in the period between the death of a pope and the election of a new one.
The camerlengo, now Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo of Spain, must then verify the death a process which 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 uses the silver hammer to smash the pope's ring the papal seal or "ring of the fisherman" to preclude forgery of official documents.
Comments
Traditionally that is the case, they do not do that modernly.
"The camerlengo's first task is to certify that the pope is dead. Traditionally, this has included tapping the pope's forehead, perhaps with a little silver hammer, and calling him three times by his first name. No response means that the pope is dead, but more precise medical equipment is used today."
Yea, if the pope wasnt already died, that hammer would kill him easily.
Reminds me of the ol' witch stories somewhat. Tie them up and throw them into a lake. If they float then they are a witch. If they sink then they are innocent.
"Put your foot where your mouth is." - Wisdom from my grandfather
"Paper or plastic? ... because I'm afraid I'll have to suffocate you unless you put this bag on your head..." - Ethnitrek
AC1: Wierding from Harvestgain
Let us give a moment of silence and be serious. The pope has only hours to live and we are joking around.
"Whoever controls the media controls the mind..-'Jim Morrison"
"When decorum is repression, the only dignity free men have is to speak out." ~Abbie Hoffman
"Put your foot where your mouth is." - Wisdom from my grandfather
"Paper or plastic? ... because I'm afraid I'll have to suffocate you unless you put this bag on your head..." - Ethnitrek
AC1: Wierding from Harvestgain
It is 3 taps on the head.
KillerTwinkie - That one guy who used to mod mmorpg.com's forums.
I, personally, think this could make a fantastic sport.
I will call it Pope-Tapping.
Take one living Pope,
2 player take it in turns to tap the pope with a hammer,
the one whole kills him loses,
the other guy becomes the new pope!
I will make millions!!
lol, yeah this would really be a good sport. I think I'll charge up to the vatican now and start.
ohw, didn't catch that part also..but guys, don't treat this as a joke!
agreed
but we also cannot resurrect old threads.
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.