# Pope Maxwell's Silver Hammer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301 "2005-04-01T21:04:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/1 "2005-04-01T21:04:00Z")
This morning on NPR, they were talking about a ritual in which a senior cardinal taps the pope on the head with a silver hammer and inquires, “Art thou dead, or simply pining for the fijords?” or words to that effect. 😉 Wikipedia says that this is hooey and was abolished some time ago. Which is true? And why do I have the Beatles tune stuck in my head? ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/2 "2005-04-01T23:00:25Z")
I’ll make another cite to what seems to be [the site of the day](http://www.americamagazine.org/papaltransition.cfm): [What happens when the pope dies?](http://www.americamagazine.org/papaltransition.cfm#dies) > [@](#): > > When the pope dies, the prefect of the papal household (Bishop James Harvey) informs the camerlengo or chamberlain who must verify his death in the presence of the papal master of ceremonies, the cleric prelates of the Apostolic Camera, and the secretary of the Apostolic Camera who draws up a death certificate. As late as 1903, at the death of Leo XIII, this was done by striking the forehead of the pope with a silver hammer. It may also have been used on John XXIII. One colleague remembers a picture in Life magazine (which I have not had time to look for) in 1958 showing Cardinal Tisserant, then Dean of the College of Cardinals, striking the dead Pope on the forehead and asking, three times, “Eugenio, are you dead?” after each stroke, before saying: “I declare that His Holiness Pope Pius XII is truly dead”. The camerlengo (Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo) tells the vicar of Rome (Cardinal Camillo Ruini) of the pope’s death and the vicar then informs the people of Rome. Meanwhile the prefect of the papal household tells the dean (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) of the college of cardinals who informs the rest of the college, the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, and the heads of nations. Although this is the formal procedure, in fact most people will first hear of the death of the pope from the media. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/3 "2005-04-01T23:04:51Z")
(Mayor) As mayor of the Vatican City In the county of the land of Rome I welcome you most regally (Judge) But we’ve got to verify it legally To see… (Mayor) To see… (Judge) If he… (Mayor) If he… (Judge) Is morally, ethically (Munchkin 1) Spiritually, physically (Munchkin 2) Positively, absolutely (Munchkin Men) Undeniably and reliably dead ## (Coroner) As Coroner , I thoroughly examined him And he’s not only merely dead He’s really most sincerely dead I am SO going to hell. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/4 "2005-04-01T23:15:37Z")
[nitpick] It should be **Cardinal** Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, since it won’t be the Pope wielding it. (However, if someone were to bonk _me_ on the head with a silver hammer and then ask me if I were dead, I’d be inclined to snatch the thing out of their hands and give them a whallop with it.) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/5 "2005-04-01T23:30:51Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > * * * > > I am SO going to hell. Perhaps. But as those Guiness guys would say: BRILLIANT!! ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/6 "2005-04-02T00:09:40Z")
Is there some reason why his popeliness doesn’t receive the same treatment everybody else gets in the local ER-that being lack of respiration and a pulse? What is the significance of the silver hammer? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/7 "2005-04-02T00:14:03Z")
Well, you have to remember that at one time, there was a fear of people being buried alive, and it wouldn’t do to stick God’s right hand man in the ground before his time, so I’m sure that the idea of the hammer came about as a way to rule out the possibility that the Pope was merely in a deep state of unconsciousness (which was poorly understood for most of human history). The reason it’s silver is no doubt you wouldn’t want a “base” metal like iron or aluminum coming into contact with a man as holy as the Pope. Presumably, they use more modern methods to determine if the Pope’s passed on, these days, and if they still do the silver hammer, it is merely ceremonial. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/8 "2005-04-02T00:26:45Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Well, you have to remember that at one time, there was a fear of people being buried alive, and it wouldn’t do to stick God’s right hand man in the ground before his time, so I’m sure that the idea of the hammer came about as a way to rule out the possibility that the Pope was merely in a deep state of unconsciousness (which was poorly understood for most of human history). The reason it’s silver is no doubt you wouldn’t want a “base” metal like iron or aluminum coming into contact with a man as holy as the Pope. Your answer is appreciated, and yet I find it in part to be amusing. The pope is said to be the vicar of Christ, one who was flogged and nailed to a wooden cross, if you subscribe to the New Testament account of the matter, who spared not himself from shame and spitting. The type of metal makes a difference for the pope? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/9 "2005-04-02T00:31:46Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Your answer is appreciated, and yet I find it in part to be amusing. The pope is said to be the vicar of Christ, one who was flogged and nailed to a wooden cross, if you subscribe to the New Testament account of the matter, who spared not himself from shame and spitting. The type of metal makes a difference for the pope? :dubious: Well, if you’ll notice, the Pope’s digs are a little fancier than the Big J’s were. Not to mention he’s got a fancier ride than the Jayster had. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/10 "2005-04-02T00:37:54Z")
Don’t forget [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=140008&highlight=silver+hammer) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/11 "2005-04-02T00:48:28Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Well, you have to remember that at one time, there was a fear of people being buried alive, and it wouldn’t do to stick God’s right hand man in the ground before his time, so I’m sure that the idea of the hammer came about as a way to rule out the possibility that the Pope was merely in a deep state of unconsciousness (which was poorly understood for most of human history). The reason it’s silver is no doubt you wouldn’t want a “base” metal like iron or aluminum coming into contact with a man as holy as the Pope. > > Presumably, they use more modern methods to determine if the Pope’s passed on, these days, and if they still do the silver hammer, it is merely ceremonial. It was assumed that if one was buried alive, he/she _for sure_ went to hell because that person most likely cursed god for their fate. In fact, if something prevented a proper wake, the body couldn’t have a full christian burial. And you can’t expect catholics to bonk the pope with a ball peen hammer, can you? Peace, mangeorge ---
**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 2, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-maxwells-silver-hammer/297301/12 "2005-04-02T03:20:24Z")
The hammer was also mentioned in [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=305285)