# Most suprising things about the Pope's funeral **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408 "2005-04-08T16:29:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/1 "2005-04-08T16:29:53Z")
Of course having the Pope lying there with his fingers pointing like a gun was a real suprised but I was most taken aback when they played Freebird. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/2 "2005-04-08T16:30:59Z")
You mean he hasn’t leaped up yet and yelled “GOTCHA YA!”? I’m so depressed. ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/3 "2005-04-08T16:40:11Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > You mean he hasn’t leaped up yet and yelled “GOTCHA YA!”? That’s frickin’ HYE-larious, **Kythereia** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/4 "2005-04-08T16:54:08Z")
I, for one, certainly didn’t expect _that_ many strippers. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/5 "2005-04-08T16:55:32Z")
I liked the whole scratch-and-sniff feature. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/6 "2005-04-08T16:58:41Z")
I’m afraid the whole Senor Wences “'S alright in the box?” bit didn’t go over that well. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/7 "2005-04-08T17:00:20Z")
I thought the All-cardinals-under-70 conga line out of the Basilica was sooo cute. And it was just like JPII to have a Nawlins jazz band escort his coffin back inside. The wet cassock contest, however, was a flop. And I think Prince Charles didn’t put enough dinero in the collection plate. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/8 "2005-04-08T17:01:02Z")
> [@](#): > > I was most taken aback when they played Freebird. But seeing it played by a mariachi band was different. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/9 "2005-04-08T17:09:27Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > But seeing it played by a mariachi band was different. Especially an all-girl one. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/10 "2005-04-08T17:12:16Z")
I was especially touched by the Sister Bertrille flyover in the Missing Nun formation. ---
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/11 "2005-04-08T17:15:47Z")
I thought the chugging contest with the sacrimental wine was a nice touch. I’m hoping for something similar at mine. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/12 "2005-04-08T17:26:28Z")
The 21 aspersorium salute devolving into a water fight was, I felt, the low point. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/13 "2005-04-08T17:51:17Z")
No, the low point was Star Jones doing the red carpet. Couldn’t they have gotten Joan Rivers? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/14 "2005-04-08T18:04:38Z")
I was surprised that he was buried in a powder-blue 1957 Cadillac Seville. No one can say dat the Pope didn’t have CLASS. Oh, Cadillac to Heaven he was wavin’ the banner He left like he lived, in a lively manner With a-hundred dollar bills in his fingers tight He had flowers for wheels and a-flashin’ headlights ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/15 "2005-04-08T18:14:09Z")
The whole sequence where they shot the coffin out of the photon torpedo tube into orbit around the Genesis planet while Scotty played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes brought tears to my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/16 "2005-04-08T18:31:31Z")
The whole cryogenic-preservation of his body ritual was tastefully done. Preserving his head in a life-support tank a la “Futurama” was a smart move. But having John Paul’s head then deliver his own eulogy was a bit too cutsey for my taste. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/17 "2005-04-08T18:37:17Z")
> [@Campion](#): > > No, the low point was Star Jones doing the red carpet. Lower than Robbie Knievel jumping his souped-up Popemobile over all those Cardinals? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/18 "2005-04-08T18:50:10Z")
Not quite as low as the sponsorship stickers on the coffin. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/19 "2005-04-08T18:51:36Z")
The streaker added a nice retro touch. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/20 "2005-04-08T18:52:43Z")
Charo singing Dust in the Wind brought a tear to my eye. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408.md?page=2)