Firstly, I would like to apologise - I included a subsequently edited piece of text, which was genuinely offensive and unintentional. Apologies all.
Secondly though, I would like to clarify...my little rant (in an ill advised tone) was more of a rant against the mainstream media and public perception, as opposed to the pope.
Alice Miles wrote in the Guardian recently about the Ken Bigley situation - people openly and publicly airing their "grief" at Mr. Bigley's death. I must voice now a slightly less inflammatory opinion about this.
The death of Ken Bigley recieved as much media coverage as the Tsunami in south east asia. people publicly grieve individuals (great and small) that they have no personal connection with. (I would like to exclude the pope from this - any religious individual could share a personal connection with him).
The same went for the funeral of princess Diana. I, personally, loved the icon, the beauty and the person of Diana, but her death, while tragic, did not cause grieving in the direct sense many individuals claim. Alice Miles went on to describe the British and Irish public mentalities as 'unreservedly and unashamedly emotive', which, subsequently explained, meant that personal tragedy no longer held in itself the meaning of the word. People would openly weep at the death of Diana, Ken Bigley, and the pope, but psychologically would not shed a tear for a close relative.
I have studied this in University (anthropology), and have genuinely strong feelings on this, as I personally know individuals whodid weep for Diana, but upon the death of their relatives, were callously stoic.
The comments Sepultura999 took literally, were not the intended tone of my piece - the "for God's sake" was ironic, not literal. I apologise, Sepultura, I was in no way clear, but in no way, do I feel I disrespected John Paul II, quite the contrary. I just have difficulty with not only the media perception of events (which is blatantly spun and weaved to create maximum media coverage, and therefore revenue from advertising), but also the general public reaction.
Hopefully this will serve to transform me from a heartless, cruelly dispassionate axxxxxx, into a slightly less aggressive, considerate axxxxxx.
Anyway, my deepest sympathies to anyone who has been genuinely affected by the great man's passing.
Regards,
RabjET
ps - I rather like the way in which skibum5545 put it. Respect.
EDIT: Removed/altered offensive words; BP