Pope 'Can't Pray' With Wrist In Cast

[IndianaGreen]

I don't get this. What does a cast have to do with being able to pray?

Pope 'Can't Pray' With Wrist In Cast

AP/Huffington Post | By COLLEEN BARRY



LES COMBES, Italy -- Pope Benedict XVI spent a calm night after breaking his wrist in his Alpine vacation chalet and is learning to cope with the cast on his right arm, the Vatican said Saturday.

Benedict, 82, will stick to his schedule of public appearances, including the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said in a statement.

Benedict had surgery at the hospital of the nearby town of Aosta on Friday to set his right wrist, fractured when he fell overnight in a chalet where he staying in the mountain hamlet of Les Combes, near the French border.

The right-handed pope will have to keep the cast for a month. Lombardi said the toughest part for Benedict was giving up writing by hand, which he intended to do often during his vacation.

The AFP also reported that the Pope couldn't pray with his hand in a cast:

"Pope Benedict XVI celebrated mass Saturday with his broken wrist in plaster but bemoaned an inability to clasp his hands together in prayer, his closest officials said."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/18/pope-cant-pray-with-wrist_n_239653.html

[sam sarrha]

1. ..so he'll have to get someone to do it for him.

[rfranklin]

8. A sort of prayerful "reach around" perhaps?

Praise the Lord!

[lilymidnite]

2. Pathetic

I'm sorry the gentleman broke his wrist, but if praying requires putting ones hands in some special position, then what good is it?

[madmom]

3. Sorry to have to ask this but...

does he wipe his own ass?:banghead:

[DesertRat]

6. I'm sure he's coping

The same way Secy Clinton and the rest of us who've had broken arms do.

[madmom]

10. Yeah but I haven't heard any one with THIS supposed "problem"

:eyes: Sounds like they're looking for the sympathy vote.

[Loudmxr]

4. Ohh look over my shoulder. You can see Austria!!!

I know. I know. Its a cheap shot at loverly Alpine Bavarian photo shot. But really the similarity to this photo and Berchtesgaden is just too funny. :smoke:

Edited for proper spelling

[InternalDialogue]

5. God will be wondering where he is.

"Haven't heard from Benny in a few days. Wonder if he's OK..."

[troubledamerican]

7. Errata: "Pope can't PREY with wrist in cast"

[RandomThoughts]

9. Gates had an arm problem also

Then Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, now the Pope hurts his arm.

People need to learn the Shatner shoulder roll.

In seriousness

God Bless

and I hope the Pope heals fast.

[IndianaGreen]

11. Rumsfeld has his arm in a cast

or was that his head?

[ladjf]

12. This is a joke, right? nt

[DeSwiss]

13. When you're a professional like Ratzi is....

...you know when to say "quit" (ask Sarah). No matter what your fans say.



- Get well soon Popey!

K&R

[sakabatou]

18. Is this an actual chart?

[Critters2]

14. It doesn't say he can't pray. Says he can't clasp his hands.

Apparently, he prefers to pray in this traditional position. That's what he can't do. The article doesn't say he can't actually pray.

I'm no fan of Ratzinger, but this just gave you all a chance to ridicule religion. Again. I assume you're able to see shades of gray in other documents you read. Or are you really all just as literalist as those you criticize?

[CatholicEdHead]

17. True, even traditionalists will not care over this

since it is a valid reason not being able to put your hands in the formal position. I never use that praying position anyways, it always screams like a grab for attention.

[Evoman]

15. Nothing to do with praying. Praying is just jabbering into thin air.

You don't need to actually clasp you hands together to waste time talking to nothing. It's just personal preference.

[Silent3]

16. Ah! Now I know why prayer can cure disease...

...but not missing limbs!

If you lose an arm, you can't clasp your hands properly for prayer. If you lose a leg, you can't kneel properly -- and obviously for as big a miracle as the return of a missing limb, a non-kneeling prayer is insufficient in the groveling department.

Well, that's one skeptical argument against the efficacy of prayer we can safely dispose of now. :)

(Hey! No fair bringing up missing feet!)

[trumanh59639]

19. What does it matter?

I'm sure his prayer would be honest, regardless of the position of his hands.