Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Whacking the Pope with a hammer?

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Fri, 1 Apr 2005, Jerry Gamblin wrote:

> I have heard of some pretty strange stuff in religion but why on earth 
> would you have to hit the pope 3 times in the head with a hammer?
>
> "Under church protocol, Cardinal Somalo stands over the Pope's body and 
> calls out his birth name, "Karol", three times to ensure he is dead. He 
> then strikes the Pope's forehead three times with a small silver hammer, 
> or places a veil over his face."
>
> http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12727975%5E2703,00.html


It has been so long since the last pope died that I didn't ever remember 
this ritual.  I assume it goes back many years to before they had reliable 
ways of judging death.

Then again, there are a lot of crazy things in religion.  I would say that 
we can tell that the communion wafers (eucharists) are not *really* the 
body of a deity (partly because it tastes like bread), but that is the 
official church dogma of Transubstantiation:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05573a.htm#3

People believe that despite how seemingly bizarre and crazy it is.  If 
they believe you should hit the moribund Pope on the head with a silver 
hammer, should I be surprised.

By the way, I think most Catholics don't really understand 
Transubstantiation.  They think it is symbolic, but it is not (according 
to doctrine) symbolic.  They also don't know how it the date of Easter is 
determined.  I can understand their ignorance because it is pretty 
embarrassing to be associated with such a primitive belief system in this 
day and age.

Mike
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