# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/41 "2005-04-09T01:15:55Z")
I found it odd to see that the wind had shut the book that was on the casket. I remember at the beginning of the ceremony watching the pages flip in the wind and thinking “Oh, man, if they’ve gotta read from that they just lost their page.” When the camera came back to the casket at one point the book was closed. The commentator (CNN) said a spectator pointed out to him that the wind had closed it. Fitting, I guess, closing the story of his life etc… Though maybe the commentator was mistaken, I didn’t see it actually close on camera. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/42 "2005-04-09T01:49:54Z")
I thought it was very odd that the Pope was buried in tie-dyed vestments, especially with the psychedelically striped hat practically just resting on a rainbow mohawk . ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/43 "2005-04-09T01:54:00Z")
You people are sick. Hilarious, but sick. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/44 "2005-04-09T02:04:30Z")
(I guess this is the best thread in which to comment.) It was a classy, elegant funeral. Still I bet a Baptist Pope would have a more exciting service. People throwing themselves on the casket, into the grave. Great fun. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/45 "2005-04-09T02:10:30Z")
The Latin inscription on the tombstone: “All your Pope are belong to us”. ---
**Author:** ![Tenzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tenzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenzin)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/46 "2005-04-09T02:25:06Z")
Thought the Popesicles sold on the street to the masses were a bit much, but ya know the Italians love their ices. Really, though, John-Paul-A-Licious with Wafers is pushing it… ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/47 "2005-04-09T02:25:38Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Lower than Robbie Knievel jumping his souped-up Popemobile over all those Cardinals? The Cardinals were at the Pope’s funeral? I thought today was their home opener in St Louis. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/48 "2005-04-09T02:27:09Z")
I expected to see some of the ceremony in Latin. I’m surprised they chose to use the pig dialect, though. Susan ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/49 "2005-04-09T02:49:51Z")
> [@Heloise](#): > > On a slightly more serious note, **Coldfire** pointed out Prince Charles shaking hands with the Zimbabwean anti-christ (my wording) Mugabe. Is there a pic of that? I’d love to have it if you see a link. That’s a pretty high contender of things I thought (or at least hoped) I wouldn’t see. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/50 "2005-04-09T03:15:04Z")
And it came to pass that it went entirely unreported, because of being completely expected, that Bill Clinton copped a quick feel of Queen Rania of Jordan during the “Sign of Peace”… ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/51 "2005-04-09T03:25:31Z")
I just watched the replay. I missed [Morganna](http://www.people.virginia.edu/~jmg6e/Homer/pages/Morganna.jpg) this morning. I must have nodded off. And the Eastern Rite priestly garments sure are colorful, aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/52 "2005-04-09T03:26:08Z")
Oh yeah, and I’m still wondering exactly how many verses of ‘Day by Day’ that poor choir had to grind out during that. And as sick as everybody was of the giutars, I really didn’t need to see that one guy smash his axe at the end. The Coptic Metropolitan got the shrapnel right under his eye! ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/53 "2005-04-09T06:27:29Z")
Was anyone but me surprised to see Tom Lehrer performing? I thought it was gracious of the cardinals to genuflect on cue, though. GT ---
**Author:** ![bclouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@bclouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bclouse)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/54 "2005-04-09T06:56:32Z")
No one thought it was strange that the pallbearers were all moonwalking? ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/55 "2005-04-09T07:02:23Z")
Wow! What a great funeral. I could hardly believe it. I loved all of it but when they released the African Swallows I knew I was in for something special. How about the part when they burned the witch, and when that guy wouldn’t stop yelling bring out your dead, and when they cut down that tree with a hearing(that part was so symbolic I actually shed a tear or two). I loved it when the monks cam out chanting and banging themselves on the forehead with those boards. I did not know they really did that. Its so moving. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/56 "2005-04-09T07:13:29Z")
I was disgusted. The man’s dead and putrefying, and they dressed him in edible vestments – of buttercream frosting, no less! Well, except for the hat – that was fondant. ---
**Author:** ![Heloise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@Heloise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heloise)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/57 "2005-04-09T07:57:14Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Is there a pic of that? I’d love to have it if you see a link. That’s a pretty high contender of things I thought (or at least hoped) I wouldn’t see. Actually, it was on the front page of one of the British newspapers. Apparently it was during a “the whole congregation shakes hands” moment and Mugabe surprised Charles with his hand thrust out. I’ll see if I can find it. ---
**Author:** ![Heloise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@Heloise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heloise)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/58 "2005-04-09T08:00:11Z")
[Here’s the link.](http://www.guardian.co.uk/zimbabwe/article/0,2763,1455382,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/59 "2005-04-09T08:22:41Z")
Was anybody else surprised to see Cardinals drinking 40 oz. bottles of Manischewitz? > [@Beware of Doug](#): > > No, but I could have sworn I saw FUCKO OFF inscribed on the casket lid. Yeah, that was unusual. I was really caught off guard by the sign saying “I burying your Pope.” ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408/60 "2005-04-09T10:02:44Z")
Thanks a million! The circumstances don’t surprise me a bit. Anti-Christ might have been too nice a word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-suprising-things-about-the-popes-funeral/298408.md?page=4)