Even though I was raised as a Lutheran, and not a very dedicated one at that, there still have always been certain things about the Catholic Church that has interested me.

Never has my interest in Catholicism, and the traditions that seem very important to the religion, been higher because of the passing of Pope John Paul II. During these last few days the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the Catholic church have become visible because of the very distinct way the church will celebrate the life of the late pope now that he has passed on.

Every aspect of the funeral and the outpouring of support for John Paul II is formed to exact detail, right down to the specific requirements for what the former pope will be wearing when he his buried.

Besides informing their readers of what the pope will be wearing, yesterday’s Chicago Tribune also projected what the funeral procession will be and what the precise details of the casket will be as well.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the burial process is the traditional meaning behind each aspect that is included in the casket.

According to the Tribune report, there are three caskets. The innermost coffin, which the pope lies in, is made of cedar wood, which represents “his humanity.” The pope’s name is etched into a bronze plaque that is placed inside the inner portion of this casket, along with a skull and crossbones. It is also tradition to include the “destroyed ‘ring of the fisherman'” with a velvet pouch that includes coins and certain papers from the pope’s reign.

With so much tradition dating back so many years that is practiced so devoutly, it is hard not to get caught up in exactly what will be happening in the upcoming days involving a pope who held one of the longest terms in his position.

Besides just how the pope is buried, another major issue surrounding the church right now is the process of electing a new man to the highest position.

After reading a few descriptions of this process, I can’t think of many more mysterious and interesting election processes around the world.

Taking place in the Vatican, the College of Cardinals, who have served under the leadership of John Paul II for 27 years, will gather to elect who the new leader will be.

For days on end, more than 100 Cardinals lock themselves away and go through numerous votes that have tedious voting procedures before a new pope is named.

In just as spectacular fashion as the voting process is, the announcement of a new pope first comes via a smoke signal that leads to much anticipation and excitement. After votes are collected, they are burned, and the smoke comes out a chimney that is visible to many. When the smoke is black the election process has not yet ended, but on a day when white smoke billows out of the opening, the people know an announcement will soon be forthcoming.

Time is then taken to allow the crowd to gather, and then the new pope is led out to directly speak and be unveiled to the public.

Seems like quite a process for quite an interesting organization.