Folks, I was reading this sharp piece by Joseph Bottum over at First Things, entitled The Cost of Father Maciel. I have nothing against the piece itself. I thought it was sharp and though angry, it was not without reason. However, the commentary string has devolved into an open judgment of the virtue and character of the late Pope John Paul the Great. I just left the following comment there and hereby share it with you for your own information.
The tragedy of the sex-abuse scandal and its mishandling has brought the worst from many among us: from complacent bishops, strident "reform" activists, and profiteering lawyers. It has also brought the worst on those who mince no words in judging and condemning the Servant of God, Pope John Paul the Great. Their words come perilously close to judging the late Pope's soul. This is unacceptable.
Lack of lapses of judgment - if there were any - or proceeding into courses of actions with little or no evidence are not prerequisites for canonization. Please, show me a canonized saint that has done neither and I'll show you a fraud.
Doug Sirman lacks competence in judging the merits and demerits of the holiness of Pope John Paul the Great, as well as all the critics because of their emotion or their agendas. The Vatican has been "making saints" for centuries now and they know what and what not to do. Let the process continue and the virtue of the late Pope show for the shining example that it was. The critics should heed the commandment "Do not judge, for as you judge others you yourself shall be judged" and stop trying to stuff their unique "wisdom" down our throats.
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7 comments:
Mr. De Jesus
I have a friendly suggestion.
I agree that too many people like to bash Pope John Paul II and to judge him with sinful irreverence.
At the same time, I think the late Pope's supporters should cease using the title "John Paul the Great". That, too, is premature.
Let the Church judge. That means that we must all refrain from both condemning AND canonizing him in advance of the Church's decision.
In the meantime, let us also pray for his soul.
Yes, and no.
The final proclamation of "greatness" does come from the Magisterium surely. But that proclamation comes after years of use by the, well, the Church, which includes you and me.
This reminds of a story said about John Paul and the Venerable Father Joseph Kentenich, founder of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement. When a group Fr. Kentenich's spiritual children shouted during an audience "Canonize Father Kentenich"! Pope John Paul replied, "No! YOU canonize him"!
Now think about that one. The Pope implied that canonization is not to be seen as merely a bureaucratic process, but as an acclamation of a heroic, virtuous person by the people. The proclamation is just the final confirmation of the people's devotion.
It seems to me that the same applies to the departed, Great Pope John Paul II - Pope Benedict's words, not mine.
-Theo
I'm too young to have any sort of attachment to John Paul II, which may be why I find giving him the title of "the Great" so jarring. Now, Pope Benedict XVI, on the other hand...
But seriously. According to a documentary I once saw, canonization was (virtually) by the acclamation of the people until the year 1000 or so. The Church got rid of this practice, and for good reason... the catalyst, it is said, was that people started asking for the canonization of a monk who had been killed in a drunken fight (he was drunk, in a bar).
Obviously, the people still have crucial a role in the canonization process, but as in the end this isn't the people's decision, it's inappropriate to call a person a "saint" or "the Great" when the Church hasn't even decided whether that person will be canonized (and a saint in heaven may not be canonized for various reasons - for example, his witness might not be universal or compelling enough).
This makes me think of the author of Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis. Judging by his writings, a person may be inclined to call him a "saint", perhaps even a "doctor", but the Church determined to not canonize him. You don't know if this may happen to Pope John Paul II. On this, Church and history will be the judge. But in the mean time, you can ask for his intercession.
I just looked it up and found out that Thomas à Kempis has been beatified... but I'll still stand by my argument :)
Spare us the fanboy genuflections, TDJ. There's nothing holy about sacrificing other people's children to preserve an entirely undeserved reputation. If that kind of diseased evil is your idea of holiness, you can keep it.
Doug
Doug, you are a very angry person. May the Lord forgive you. I forgive you too.
-Theo
Doug's angry words stand clearly in contrast with today's scriptural reading for Evening Prayer, for Thursday of the 111 Week of the Psalter:
8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
1 Peter 3:8-12
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