I'm glad I'm not Catholic... CNN.com - Vatican: Pope's condition 'has worsened' - Apr 1, 2005 I was listening to the procedure for what has to be done to declare the pope dead and how a new pope is elected on the news while I wait for PTI to come on at 5:30. It sounds kind of ludicrous to me. But then, what would Catholicism be without weird, elaborate, non-sensical rituals?