The Pope

[MUMMIBOO]

I had never seen a dead body until my nanna died last June i was 26 at the time, i was frightened but with my mum there with me i over came and i saw her it was the strangest thing i have ever seen as i saw her a few hours after she had died at the hospital, she looked strange but peaceful, she had no wrinkles they had gone. I wanted to touch her but i didnt dare my mum reassured me it was ok and said i should to over come my fear once i had touched her it was ok, she was cold but that was ok i knew she would be i too had the visions of my nannas body for ages this stuck in my head but now i have those lovely memorys, I hear her say "Anne isnt she beautiful our Lynn" she always told me i was beautiful i really miss that.

I had a dream a while ago that my nanna rang me i was astonished to hear from her because she is dead, i was listening to her voice really hard to see if it really was her and it was she had called to say she was alright now i asked her what it was like up there and she said it was beautiful i told her all of us love her and miss her and then she told me she loved me and that she had to go and she went and when i woke up it was like she had spoke to me in my dream to let me know she was ok and to let her go it was lovely.

Well i went right off thread there im sorry i got carried away with myself what was meant to say is that i saw my nannas body before it was laid out, and it was ok in the end a at least the popes body was prepared he looks peacefully asleep not like a dead body. He didnt look scary at all.

[slinky]

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

There can be nothing embarrasing or unpalatable in explaining a basic fact of life to our children. If anything the sooner they get used to the idea the better. What is strange and odd however, is to want to cosset them and conceal the truth of their condition from them. How does this prepare them for life?

Well they are your views A-B and we are all entitled to them, but I am their mother, and I do not wish for my children to have to think about death at a young age thankyou. If you have read my other posts I have reasons for this. And I still stand by my earlier thread and think that they should not show the world, the popes dead body. They are my views. They know what happens when people die, but I dont want them seeing dead bodies all over the t.v and papers. children should be allowed to be children I say, the longer the better these days. They grow up quicker and quicker as it is. I remember my mum saying to me when I was 15years old ''you kids grow up too quick these days, worrying about boyfriends, drinking, smoking,sex'' she said ''when I was 15years old we were still playing on parks and swings''. Then people realise why the next generation are growing up too quick.

[slinky]

Oh and another thing.........people have said about funerals. I never once said 'i won't take my kids to a funeral'. Yeah thats fine, I would take my children to a funeral, but hell would freeze over first before I took them to see a dead body. Their will come a time in there life when they may/may not wish to see a dead body. But it will be their own choice when the times comes, and not forced on them by me.

[Neil]

It is a worrying day when I totally agree with you Slinky, but I do. Death is not a thing for children. Whatever happened to the watershed?

[slinky]

Originally Posted by Neil

It is a worring day when I totally agree with you Slinky, but I do. Death is not a thing for children. Whatever happened to the watershed?

Cheeky b'gger!!! ............................

[fibi]

I have to agree with Slinky I was 21 when my grandad died and I could not and did not want to see his body, it was a very traumatic time for me as everyone said I should because I would only regret it later, I didn't and I don't. I have never seen a dead body and to be honest I never want to, I know this will change in the future and I will deal with that when it does, they should definitely not parade dead bodies around on TV

[fibi]

Originally Posted by Tinkerbelle

I didn't mind Sklinky mentioning it earlier but I wasn't going to reply.

I can't speak for any body else that is afraid of seeing a deceased body but mine is just an irrational fear, it's a phobia. Some people fear things like balloons and everybody thinks thats wierd. I can't explain I am just terrified, I even feel funny typing about it I am a strange one at times I know!

I know exactly how you feel Tinkerbelle, each to their own....

[Tinkerbelle]

Yes I agree Fibi people suggested quite strongly that it was 'the right thing to do' for me to go in and see my Grandparents. I physically couldn't and still to this day think it was the best thing for me and I don't regret it which I think is all that matters.


I also agree with Slinky nobody knows they're children better than their own parents and it should be them that decide what the children should be aware of and at what age. I would rather support my child through seeing a dead body for the first time when they are old enough to decide themselves rather than live with the fact I may have mentally scarred them by forcing them to face something like that when they were too young.

[Margaret Pilkington]

At my brother in laws funeral the children who were present released balloons......I thought it was beautiful and symbolic.......I had never seen this done before.

I do not have any qualms about the showing of the Pope's body......as A-B says it is entrenched in tradition......but I also understand about not wanting children to see a dead body.

I was 7 years old when my Gran died of a brain haemorrhage.......I wanted to go and see her in the Chapel of Rest. My parents tried to talk me out of it, but I was adamant that I wanted to go.......I think that in the main it was to assure myself that she WAS really dead.
I was not afraid, even though her face was dark because of the bruising......and I have never regretted it.

[Gobsmacked]

Originally Posted by slinky

I remember my mum saying to me when I was 15years old ''you kids grow up too quick these days, worrying about boyfriends, drinking, smoking,sex'' she said ''when I was 15years old we were still playing on parks and swings''. Then people realise why the next generation are growing up too quick.

I agree with you unreservedly that children should be allowed to be children for as long as possible but unfortunately it's difficult to keep them away from an awareness of alcohol tobacco and sex. The moment they leave your side and go to school outside influences are there whether you like it or not.

Personally I'm not keen on the idea of Primary School children having any form of sex education and yet they talk to each other about things you may not even imagine. I would rather my children learned from a responsible adult than from rumours amongst themselves. I have always tried to openly and honestly answer any questions they may have without showing embarrassment in the hope that should they have any problems they would not be afraid to discuss them with me (or my wife).

There have probably always been children who want to try alcohol before they are legally of an age to do so. I don't encourage mine to drink and as for smoking they already tell their Granddad it's a mugs game and he should stop.

I'd like to protect my children from the worries of life for as long as possible but in a way which acknowledges that such things exist but that they don't have to concern themselves too much about them yet.

Obviously from the different responses in this thread there are people who feel that death isn't something that children need to be protected from in the same way they need to be protected from alcohol tobacco and drugs and yet others like yourself who don't even want to face it themselves. The fact that many people find a comfort in being able to see the images of the deceased Pontiff is enough reason for the papers to have published them in my opinion. It may be difficult for you to prevent your children seeing them if that is what you wish to do but one day it may be totally impossible for you to prevent them seeing a deceased person in the flesh. You have no control over when and where that may happen.

A teacher may have a heart attack whilst they are at school. An adult or a child may have a road accident. Many things occur which we have no control over and I feel that if my children are partially prepared by having no fear of death then if they do have such an experience it will be less traumatic for them.

We'll simply have to agree to disagree on that.

[Acrylic-bob]

Originally Posted by slinky

Well they are your views A-B and we are all entitled to them,

Quite right. You are. And I hope that you are all suitably grateful.

However, in your statement you do not say why you think that the display of, or the manner of moving, the body of the late Pope is disgusting. I would be genuinely interested to hear your thoughts on this.

[West Ender]

My granddaughter, who is 5, saw the footage of the pope lying in state, on TV. She said, "Is he dead?". I told her he was. She asked, "Was he very old, then?" I said, yes, he was very old and very poorly and that was his body which he didn't need now because the real person inside wasn't there any more. I explained a bit about funerals and burial, trying to put it as gently as I could, and went on to explain that some people think the "real" person goes on living but in a way that we can't see them or touch them.

"Oh," she said, knowledgeably. "Just like our hamster."

[slapperdapper]

If kids ask,tell them!!
You shouldn't give them false reasons for anything,they hear things on the street so why not tell them the truth?

[Bazf]

Disgraced Cardinal leads mass for pope

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor..._re_eu/pope_33

[chav1]

the pope did many great things

i believe he increased christianity to africa and forbid them to wear condoms

can anyone please inform me as to which country is flooding the uk with aids victims please

dont get me wrong he did try but even the pope was capable of almighty mess ups

he was after all only human

During his papacy, the pontiff visited more than 10 countries in Africa where the number of Catholics has nearly doubled to over 100 million in the last two decades.