Journalists first to hear of Pope's passing: Online

Though arcane Roman Catholic tradition has for centuries dictated that a pope's passing be marked by the closing of the enormous Bronze Door off St Peter's Square, John Paul II's death was set apart from his predecessors, having been marked by an e-mail. Papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls made sure acredited journalists were the first to know, by emailing the death notice--"a stark departure from the centuries-old traditions of one of the world's most enduring institutions, the Roman Catholic Church," reports the AP via Yahoo News. The message read: "The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. in his private apartment. All the procedures outlined in the apostolic Constitution `Universi Dominici Gregis' ('Of the Lord's Whole Flock') that was written by John Paul II on Feb. 22, 1996, have been put in motion." This document details how the Vatican is to handle the pope's death and go about choosing a successor.