Pope John Paul's Beatification ....

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

You're right, of course. One should have no reason to hope their love life is any better in heaven than it is on Earth.

So, you're suggesting that those who might attribute a favorable outcome to their prayers for a cure to their own affliction or for the improved health of a loved one to their God or thier religious beliefs are no better than a blood-thirsty terrorist? That's an interesting, and I hope singular, perspective.

Not exactly. Someone who prays and thinks improvements in their status are based upon a specific prayer or prayers offered (among many in their lives) is one thing. The Catholic Church in Rome glomming on to that belief and beating the bushes for similar attestations to support canonization is another thing altogether.

As noted in the OP, I find this ritual "decidedly odd." I'm not sure I would characterize that as "bashing religion," as you asserted, but me wondering aloud about the ongoing activities in Rome.

For the record, I attended a private audience with Pope Paul VI on the first day of his Papacy in Rome in the early '60's. Pretty cool stuff for a 10 year old kid at the time.