The death itself was far more significant, but it's fair to draw the comparison when talking about people actually crying about it.Originally Posted by LordJagged
If we've seen people get irrationally upset by the death of someone they don't actually know in one case, why should we assume that the grief displayed over the death of the Pope isn't fuelled by the same kind of hysterical overreaction (force fed by 24 hour coverage and endless analysis by the media)?
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The culture of the cover-up is alive and well, I agree. But call me a hopeless optimist, I would doubt whether those particular types of cover-ups would now occur.
In terms of the broader issue, as one who did not accept the Pope as my spiritual leader or his claims to be God's personal representative on Earth, I have found the last week or so pretty baffling.
'Secular' channels like CNN and Skynews devoting hours of coverage to the run-up to the funeral, agnostic/atheist commentators lining up to offer the Catholic Church their tuppeny worth on where it should go next and what qualities the new Pope should have - bizarre, really, as it's none of their business.
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Its of interest to millions of practising Catholics around the world. With this Pope we've seen how its of interest to millions of others too!
Hey, its better than devoting a day to the marriage of Camilla and Charles - which they did!
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I'm sure they did but it still seems to me that, for some reason, grief is surprisingly attractive to many people. What does this appetite for public ourpourings of it signify?
Actually, that's a good point. Some of the media coverage seemed almost purposely designed to whip people up into a kind of frenzy of grieving. Sometimes, you have to switch off the TV and try to analyse what you're being presented with.
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I'm not sure the grieving is the whole picture either. There was applause, celebration of the life of a great man [just how great he was will be a long process of revelation]. Re-affirmation of the things he stood for. Reminders of what he achieved [the defeat of communism, the reunification of Europe, he was instrumental, ecumenical events: wailing wall, visiting mosques]. The Diana syndrome might work to explain some of it [the lachryphiles etc], but I think much greater forces where at work here. One sixth of the earth' s population lost it's leader. It was the largest funeral ever. The entire earth was focused on Rome. Remarkable.
While the the numbers in Rome were impressive, it's also important to remember that this was the first post-Ryanair Pope.
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His 'greatness' is not a foregone conclusion. It's polite to say flattering things so shortly after a persons death but its prudent to keep your powder dry when it comes to their legacy.
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Very true. It's too early to judge his legacy at this stage.
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His position with regards the collapse of Communism is overstated not to mention inconsistent with his approach to opposition of rightwing dictatorships. Equally the issue of contraception and AIDS in developing countries looms large.Very true. It's too early to judge his legacy at this stage.
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