# The Pope has died \[April 21, 2025\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 21, 2025, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296 "2025-04-21T08:10:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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 21, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/61 "2025-04-21T22:42:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Why of course? Is _every_ pope canonized? No. That sounds like someone getting ahead of themselves. Popes go through the same drawn out process as everyone else and though Francis is highly likely to soon have people calling for a beatification case to be opened, only very rarely you get a case like JP2 who is sort of taken as a foregone conclusion and gets the fast track from Day One. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/62 "2025-04-21T23:35:44Z")
TL : DR - probably not. I’m surprised he left the hospital alive, to be honest. He wanted to attend the Easter service in some capacity, and he did. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/63 "2025-04-21T23:51:57Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Why of course? Is _every_ pope canonized? “A total of 83 out of 266 popes have been recognised universally as canonised saints.” [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_canonised_popes) ---
**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 22, 2025, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/64 "2025-04-22T00:35:48Z")
Pretty good chances if looked as a whole, but heavily skewed by all the old founding Church Fathers – 48 of the first 50? By the mid-500s AD it becomes the exception. No Pope of the 1600s, 1700s or 1800s has made it across the line. But, 3 of the last 6 have. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/65 "2025-04-22T01:18:34Z")
He accelerated the process for sainthood which is why it often no longer takes hundreds of years for someone to be canonized. On a different note, I think there’s most likely a lot of politicking going on behind the scenes. It may be subtle, none of us know, but they have favorites. Many of them know it would be beneficial and advance their own careers if a certain cardinal were chosen. So, wisdom of the Holy Spirit? To an extent. Human behavior? I think so. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/66 "2025-04-22T01:47:11Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > But, 3 of the last 6 have. Trophies for everyone! /jk ---
**Author:** ![NeoLuddite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c6cbf5/32.png) [@NeoLuddite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeoLuddite)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/67 "2025-04-22T12:14:14Z")
Pope passes away, upon arriving at the pearly gates identifies himself to St. Peter who immediately re-directs him to G\_d. Pope then regales G\_d with his accomplishments, stressing that he had been celibate his entire life. Thereupon G\_d became visibly puzzled, saying that celibate had to be a translation error, what he had really meant was “Celebrate!” ---
**Author:** ![IkesAcolyte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ikesacolyte/32/19012_2.png) [@IkesAcolyte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IkesAcolyte)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/68 "2025-04-22T16:20:28Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > So, wisdom of the Holy Spirit? To an extent. Human behavior? I think so. To be quite frank, I doubt God has much say on the choice of a new Pope. Each of those Cardinals are ready to take on the mantle of world second most influential person, and not much will stop them. I like to think God is watching with as much anticipation as the rest of us. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/69 "2025-04-22T16:35:41Z")
Humans exercising their God-given free will must be a great source of amusement to God. When He’s done causing earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters (aka “acts of God”). They must eat a lot of popcorn up there in the Heavenly Control Room. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/70 "2025-04-22T17:02:06Z")
Another Pope, the story goes, has a near-death experience. Afterwards, the cardinals crowd around him on his hospital bed and one asks, “Did you see God?” “Yes, I did,” the Pope says. “And I have to tell you: She’s black, and She’s pissed.” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/71 "2025-04-22T17:02:40Z")
An interesting tradition: > **[Why Pope Francis’ signet ring will be destroyed following his death | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/style/pope-francis-fishermans-ring-destroyed/index.html)** > > As tradition dictates, the late pontiff’s signet ring will be destroyed — or defaced, at least — within the walls of the Vatican following his death on Easter Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/72 "2025-04-22T17:18:07Z")
Gotta destroy the lich’s phylactery or they’ll just come back. ---
**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 22, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/73 "2025-04-22T22:43:41Z")
> [@IkesAcolyte](#): > > That will create tension with the historically very conservative/white Clergy. IMHO the Cardinals will line up by ideology/theology, not by race or nationality. A conservative African candidate will be a lot more popular with conservative Europeans and Americans than a white, western liberal. We’ve already seen it in the U.S. where conservative [Methodists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Methodist_Church) and [Episcopalians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_realignment) are splitting away from their European counterparts and aligning with the conservative African branches. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2025, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/74 "2025-04-24T21:31:47Z")
It’s all about hating the queers. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/75 "2025-04-26T02:24:58Z")
I just saw that the world leaders will be seated in their nations’ FRENCH alphabetical order. Putin and Netanyahu are not invited, nor will they be allowed into Vatican City, because of the whole war crimes thing. I still haven’t seen a definite reason why they’re using French, and not Latin or Italian, but it was used for John Paul II’s funeral 20 years ago. The Bidens plan to attend, but they will not be seated with world leaders because he’s not holding public office right now. > **[Trump and Zelenskyy split at pope's funeral by French seating order](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/04/25/trump-and-zelenskyy-to-sit-apart-at-popes-funeral-as-organisers-opt-for-french-alphabetica)** > > The pope's funeral will be held in a tense geopolitical climate, and Vatican officials are facing a complicated diplomatic chessboard. #EuropeNews ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/76 "2025-04-26T03:04:09Z")
It’s probably because French has historically been the language of diplomacy. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/77 "2025-04-26T05:57:24Z")
That makes sense now. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/78 "2025-04-26T14:20:12Z")
[![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/2Z8Z0lr.png "National embarrassment - Album on Imgur") ](https://imgur.com/gallery/national-embarrassment-QY0Wn7G) ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/79 "2025-04-26T17:26:09Z")
Whereas Zelenskyy showed how it was possible to break the dress code and yet still look classy. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2025, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296/80 "2025-04-28T16:45:58Z")
the conclave date has been announced. may 7th. francis took 24 hours, john paul ii and benedict 2 days. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-died-april-21-2025/1017296.md?page=5)