Does anyone else find it incredibly strange that so many of the people streaming past the body of the dead Pope are taking a picture of it?  Why would anyone do such a odd thing?

Also, I find it weird that so very many people are flocking to Rome to see the dead body and attend the funeral.  It is as if they are worshipping the dead Pope.

Peace, ummziba.

"I don't get it either.."

What is there to get?  They are following a religious tradition of paying last respects, and viewing the body.  I assume the picture is for keepsake/memories; ("I was there").  We may not agree, but really, what is there to understand?  After all, this was the Pope.

What I don't understand is why people continue to travel to the city when the gates have been closed.

As for the pictures, I do find it strange, you think that the TV camera is enough.

It's ALL strange. Why over a billion people let an unmarried guy in a dress dictate their lives to them I will NEVER know.

What would he know about the realities of family life in the 21st century? His knowledge of science extended to comments along the lines of "naughty thoughts give you cancer".

excuse me?????

And never did he bother to try to save millions of Africans, for exmaple, by declaring "condoms will help to reduce the incidence of diseases inclduing HIV/AIDS." How many lives could he have saved with such a simple statement?

AND his people interfered with life-saving initiatives like the heroin injecting room runs by some nuns up in Sydney. SURE, drugs are bad (M'kay?) and we should try to stop people from taking them, but in cases when it is SO DIFFICULT to stop people straight away, the LEAST we can do is to help them live cleaner, more sanitary lives in order that we can actually "save" (read: cure) them later on. If we give up on them and allow them to inject somewhere else using dirty needles - how will we save/cure them after they have died?

The Pope did NOT help in situations like these, despite numerous chances to have done so.

On a lighter note: I have a Turkish friend who is currently living in Poland. She sent me an SMS the other day saying she had lit a candle in her window and that she was sympathising with my pain. She obviously thought I, along with most Australians, was Catholic!  :}

I wrote back thanking her for the thought, but let her know I was feeling no pain and that I'm not Catholic. She replied that she doesn't actually know much about the Pope, but since she was in Poland it was hard NOT to feel great sadness because EVERYONE around her was sad about the Pope. Must be a weird situation for a Good Muslim Girl.  :}

Kim... 

PS and I have never been able to understand this whole Catholic thing of filing past and staring at dead bodies at funerals. It always struck me as such a weird and gruesome thing to do. Especially for those who are a bit sensitive and who could be badly affected by such a thing.

Marius,

Thanks for the insight.  Perhaps not understanding the whole "spectacle" of the pope's funeral might have to do with how Muslims view death as just another, and natural part of life.  Belief in Allah and the Hereafter makes even the death of someone close sad, but quite bearable. 

I at least hope that you draw some comfort from what you have learned about yourself by the pope's death.  As a Muslim, there is no one or nothing that I love more than Allah.  This brings great comfort to my heart and mind no matter what goes on in the world!

Hope I have helped you to see why some of us find taking pictures of a dead body rather odd.  (And I don't know who you were addressing specifically, but I, for one, am not at all young!)

Anyway, again, thanks for your input and comments, they have helped me to understand a little better.

Peace, ummziba.