Pope's Blood Pressure Drops dramatically.
 

:( Just heard it on FOX NEWS. Seems as if Pope John Paul II's condition has worsened. Seems that his Blood Pressure and Vital signs have dropped dramatically.

That's bad news.

Worsened? How can that be? The guy 's already practically dead...

I really pity him every time i see him on TV...

So do they have the next pope already lined up or do they find the next one after the current one has died?

Edit: Not that I'm saying he's going to die, just a hypothetical...

No kidding. He's got tubes for feeding and breathing now. I bet he wishes he believed in assisted suicide right about now.

I am sure all the Cardinals have started the heavy political jousting already...

but it doesn't matter, since Nostradamus (i believe) forecast that JP II would be the last Pope before the Apocalypse...

Oh no, we 're DOOMED!

I'm not Catholic, but I vaguely remember when John Paul became Pope. I believe they have a council or panel or group of Cardinals that deliberate and select the Pope. I can remember as a boy watching TV and the commentators referencing the process of using smoke (white or black, can't remember which) to signify that the Pope had been selected.

Perhaps others more familiar with the process can shed some light.

Just curious, how do they select a new pope?

IIRC, The College of Cardinals select the new pontiff, black smoke means no selection, white smoke means yes.

Vatican statement due shortly.

Time, via Italian agencies, saying last rites have been issued.

Please remeber that this is unconfirmed.

Single elmination deathmatches until the end when only two candidates remain. Then... it's Thunderdome time... Two men enter, one Pope leaves!

See the movie the Pope Must Diet.

I think Rome has enacted some smoking restrictions since the '70s, though.

Now, the Cards drive around the courtyard in a black SUV if it's no pope, and a white Ford Bronco if they do select one.

The College of Cardinals elects a new pope in conclave, which is the process of sequestering the voting members of the college in Vatican City so that they have no contact with the outside world.

A conclave begins no earlier than 15 days and no later than 20 days after the pope's death.

A two-thirds-plus-one majority is required to elect a pope.

Two ballots each are held in the morning and afternoon, for a total of four per day.
If a new pope is not selected after 12 to 13 days, the cardinals may choose to impose a majority vote, which would allow selection of a new pope by a simple majority.

About a year ago I heard a very interesting article on the radio about what happens when the Pope dies. Not so much about the election procedure, and its cloak-and-dagger machinations amongst the Cardinals, but how the major news outlets of the world prepare.

Basically, all the major news outlets have ongoing leases of balconies overlooking St. Peter's Square, just for this occasion. They also keep noted papal authorities (guys who write books and stuff) on permanent retainer, solely for the time when the Pope dies.

By all accounts it's a huge operation that's planned years and years and years in advance, all in anticipation (probably correct) that it'll be the #1 news story for the weeks/month (whatever) it takes the Cardinals to select a new Pope, plus all the ceremony surrounding the new Pope.

Anyway, should be fascinating.

Here's something from USA Today on how a pope is selected:

hxxp://www.usatoday.com/news/graphics/pope_election/flash.htm

Pope OJ

LOL

The Cardinals elect the Pope? I never knew an American baseball team had such power. (Well, it could be the Arizona Cardinals, but we know they couldn't select a Pope. Heck, they can't select a first round draft pick).

HAHAHAHA

Vatican says Pope has high fever due to a UTI.

But why put all their eggs in one Pope basket? Why not trade the top Pope spot for more Popes in later rounds?

If he also has dropping blood pressure, I think that may be an indicator of sepsis.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/pope/selection/

More info on the selection process.

It's all detailed here:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0102691/

Wait a second. The Pope is "selected by God", right? But he's voted on by the Cardinals. But the Cardinals speak with God, right?

So if the votes aren't unanimous in favor of the new Pope, then the Cardinals that voted against him should probably get their God-phones checked for some sort of malfunctioning. Or maybe step down as Cardinals.

I bet none of them will be voting for McGwire after his performance in front of Congress.

Ozzie Smith perchance?

Wonder how much they pay for those seats yearly. Truly are the best and most expensive luxury boxes on this world.

Needless to say, they weren't disclosing the details.... :)

My thoughts and prayers are with the Pope. if this is his time, may he go without suffering further.

With the first pick in the pope draft, the vatican selects: Benoit Benjamin

That's a bad pick, if you ask me.

I know you're being facetious, but I had the same thought. If the Pope is God's man on Earth, doesn't letting the Cardinals vote on who should be Pope - especially if they can't get it unanimous the first time sort of cast a shadow over the whole process?

I thought there was room for 2, the last being, '' A dark Pope from unknown lands.''

*sighs*

Pope John Paul II was given the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church late Thursday night as his health deteriorated, a Vatican source has told CNN.

I'm not really intending to troll, but why all the stress about this? Being so close to God, shouldn't it be presumed that God is in control of the Pope's situation? I just don't get all the fuss. If God wants the Pope to deliver His message, the Pope will be able to talk. If he wants a new Pope, he will let this one pass away.

read something that the new pope is likely going to be this Italian guy (don't remember his name though) who is seen as really a...financial and housekeeping wizard within church circles, just recently straightened out a whole division and stuff. Damn wish I could find that article, was in one of mom+pop's christian magazines.

So God's looking for more of a CEO-type this time around?

Finance and Housekeeping? Sounds like Martha Stewart.

For some reason this struck me as a hilarious line...

I'm thinking one of those corporate turn-around guys.

i can't remember what the guy's name was or any of the particulars (so sue me i'm not catholic i just read it on the can one time), but they brought him in to straighten out a division that was pretty much a mess and he realigned it and like...got it running smooth. The downside I guess is that he's never as a cardinal made any kind of ecumenical impact, but the author of the piece (who is a member of the permenant assignment of some news organization to the pope's press corps) says that this guy is the frontrunner.

I have just heard that the pope has been given his last rites, so says cnn.

You think maybe they are setting up for a merger? Corporate buy-out?

So does that mean he has died or just that they're preparing him for death?

Sorry, non-Catholic here...

maybe Bin Ladin and the Muslims are going to buy them out...hmmmn

it means they're preparing him for death because the expectation is that he has zero chance of survival for any meaningful amount of time (at least as i understand it)

Wikipedia strikes again!

The Anointing of the Sick is one of the sacraments of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and some Protestant churches.

The former name Extreme Unction was used in the Western (Roman) part of the Catholic Church from the end of the twelfth century until the Second Vatican Council, and was never popular in the Eastern (Orthodox) part. Last Rites is a common but misleading term; the Anointing of the Sick can be received as often as the believer desires and should not be postponed until death is thought to be near, nor is its administration intended to imply an expectation that the recipient is about to die. At one time in history, the sacrament was reserved until death was believed to be imminent, in order to reduce the possibility of the sick person committing further sins after its administration. However, since the Second Vatican Council this is no longer the case.

The sacrament has also been known as the holy oil, or unction, of the sick; the unction or blessing of consecrated oil; the unction of God; the office of the unction; and so on. In the Eastern Church the technical name is euchelaion ("prayer-oil"); but other names are used such as elaion hagion ("holy") or hegismenon ("consecrated"), elaion, elaiou Chrisis, chrisma, and so on. The chief biblical text for anointing of the sick is "Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven." - James 5:14,15

It gives spiritual aid and comfort and perfect spiritual health, including the forgiveness of sins to Christians who are seriously ill. Catholics hold that in some cases it effects miraculous cures.

It always amazes me how interested in the Pope non-Catholics are.

(Me? Lutheran.)