Pope John Paul II died at the age of 84 on April 2, 2005.


The Dove Has Flown

The dove has flown,
the vacant seat is cold.
A ring is broken;
hear the weeping souls.

Black smoke will fill the sky
before the white;
the hatchling will emerge 
through tears and take to flight.

The fisherman will take a hand,
til death there to remain.
Upon the head of Peter
there will emerge a brand new name. 


april 2005
Janet Reid




The period after the Pope’s death is referred to as a “vacant seat”  Every Pope wears a
ring called the “Fisherman’s Ring” which is broken in two after his death.  Among the
rituals performed during the selection of a new Pope is the burning of the voting ballots,
creating black smoke for an unsuccessful vote and white smoke for a successful vote
producing a new Pope. The new Pope is then led through a doorway called the Door of
Tears where he changes into Papal garments.  He is presented with his own Fisherman’s Ring
and chooses what name he will be known as while Pope, the newest successor of Saint Peter.