So I was just looking at the list of who will and won't be attending the funeral.

Apparently, the rancor between the pope and the Russian Orthodox church has not lessened one iota. Patriarch Alexiy II (who steadfastly refused to meet with the pope) will not be attending.

Surprise, surpise.

I also noted that there is quite a bit of scrambling amongst US Republican politicians to get to the Vatican, and shore up their conservative Catholic constituency in advance of the 2006 elections.

Grandstanding Right to Life Senator Rick Santorum, for instance, has said he will be going to the Vatican with or without an official invitation.