The Independent News Source
NCR on Kindle - NCR classifieds - YouTube - Twitter - Facebook - Email Alerts - RSS
Printer-friendly version
PDF versionVatican announces May 1 beatification for John Paul II
by John L Allen Jr on Jan. 14, 2011
Pope Benedict XVI today approved a miracle attributed to Pope John Paul II, clearing the way for the late pontiff’s beatification, the final step before sainthood. The Vatican announced that the beatification ceremony will take place in Rome on Sunday, May 1.
While today’s announcement is expected to be greeted with joy around the Catholic world, critics have raised questions both about the substantive case for declaring the late pope a saint, including his record on the sexual abuse crisis, and the speed with which it’s occurred.
In a statement released this morning, the Vatican insisted that aside from waiving the normal five-year waiting period to begin a sainthood cause, on account of what it described as the “imposing fame for holiness” enjoyed by John Paul II during his life, in every other respect “the common canonical dispositions” for sainthood causes were “integrally observed.”
Organizers expect that the ceremony will attract the largest crowd in Rome since the events surrounding the death of John Paul II and the election of Benedict XVI six years ago, in April 2005.
Formally speaking, beatification entitles a candidate to be referred to as “blessed” but not yet a saint. Traditionally, prayer and devotion to a “blessed” were encouraged only in that person’s local church, but John Paul II’s global appeal means that his beatification will have echoes well beyond his native Poland or the city of Rome.
In the sainthood process, one miracle is required for beatification and another for canonization. (The logic is that the miracles provide proof that the saint is indeed in Heaven and capable of interceding for those who request help in prayer.)
Most of the miracles in sainthood causes are healings, and the Vatican has historically applied three standards to ascertain if a healing qualifies. It must be “complete,” meaning it’s not enough if the person merely feels better or shows some improvement; “instantaneous,” as opposed to a recovery that unfolds over weeks, months, or longer; and it must be “durable,” meaning that the condition does not return. In addition, the healing must be medically and scientifically inexplicable.
The miracle approved today by Benedict XVI concerns a 49-year-old French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Parkinson’s disease in 2001 and whose order prayed to John Paul II after his death in 2005 for help. Reportedly, after writing the late pope’s name on a piece of paper one night in June 2005, Sister Marie-Simone awoke the next morning cured and was able to resume her work as a maternity nurse.
Earlier this year, media reports implied that the French sister had fallen ill again and that at least one physician questioned the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, suggesting it may have been some other nervous disorder. It would seem that the Vatican resolved those doubts to its satisfaction, however, as the miracle has been approved by both the Vatican’s medical and theological consulters, as well as the cardinals and bishops who make up the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the pope himself.
Momentum to declare John Paul a saint began almost at the moment of his death.
In the run-up to the conclave that elected Benedict XVI to the papacy in April 2005, some cardinals signed a petition requesting that the next pope move immediately to opening a sainthood process for John Paul II. During his funeral Mass, mourners held signs and chanted “Santo Subito!”, meaning “Sainthood Now!”
Shortly after his election, Benedict waived the waiting period but otherwise held that the usual procedure should be followed.
Among church insiders, it’s taken for granted that John Paul II’s cause will not stall at beatification, but that he will fairly quickly also be canonized and declared a saint.
Given John Paul’s popularity and high public profile, news of his beatification is certain to be a major news event. There are, however, also three persistent strains of criticism likely to resurface in coming days.
First, some Catholic liberals who saw John Paul II as overly conservative have suggested that his cause is being fast-tracked in order to score political points in internal Catholic debates. This constituency has wondered, for example, why John Paul II is being beatified so quickly, when the late Pope John XXIII, who launched a period of reform in Catholicism by calling the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), has not yet been canonized following his own beatification in 2000.
Second, some traditional Catholics may object to the apparent haste in John Paul’s cause, arguing that it risks cheapening the canonization process if there’s a perception that a particular candidate is being moved forward too hastily. Perceptions that the usual process has been “short-circuited,” some warn, may suggest that other church teachings and disciplines can be massaged or set aside. They add that according to Catholic theology, the church has no power to “make” a saint – it can simply ratify that a particular figure is already in Heaven. By that logic, there’s no rush, since if John Paul is indeed a saint, formal beatification and canonization won’t add anything.
Third, some victims of clerical sexual abuse and their advocates believe that John Paul’s record on the crisis is not worthy of sainthood, or at least that beatifying him now risks giving offense to victims who associate the late pope with a mixed response to the crisis. Some have argued that the study of John Paul’s life and legacy as part of the sainthood process did not give sufficient weight to his handling of the sexual abuse crisis, such as the case of the late founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Mexican Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, a longtime favorite during John Paul’s papacy who was later disgraced as the Legionaries acknowledged he was guilty of various forms of sexual misconduct.
Yesterday, even before the formal Vatican announcement, the Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests issued a statement asserting that the hierarchy is “rubbing more salt into the wounds” of victims with a “hasty drive to confer sainthood on the pontiff under whose reign most of the widely-documented clergy sex crimes and cover ups took place.”
Vatican officials today did not offer any response to substantive criticism of John Paul II, but in past cases when popes have been moved along the sainthood track, they generally insist that beatifying or canonizing a pope is not tantamount to endorsing every policy choice of his pontificate. Instead, they say, it’s a declaration that this pope lived a holy life worthy of emulation, despite whatever failings may have occurred during his lifetime – including his reign as pope.
The date for the beatification ceremony, May 1, has been observed since 2000 as “Divine Mercy Sunday” by the Catholic church. The Divine Mercy feast is associated with a 20th century Polish nun, St. Faustina Kowalska, who was a visionary and mystic to whom John Paul II had a strong personal devotion.
Ironically, May 1 is also “May Day,” traditionally associated with the international Socialist movement, which is striking given that the collapse of European Communism is often flagged as John Paul’s central political accomplishment.
"Blesseds" and "Saints" are
"Blesseds" and "Saints" are not perfect people...
but rather those in whom God has worked mightily,
in spite of their human flaws.
This is all about what God does, not about human accomplishments -- and certainly not about human perfection in this life!
"God is glorified in his saints!"
This is also about raising to
This is also about raising to the altars an anti-Communist, almost deified by the radical right, by a right-wing sympathizing pope. Once again, as he did with the SSPX, to mollify his romantic and disillusioned followers. This is pure politics with an eye to diverting the average pew dweller's attention from the rot, the decay, and the stench rising from Benedict's House of Ill Repute. It is very little more than that.
What kind of a sham is this
What kind of a sham is this spouting of Fr. John. We all know that the criterion for sainthood is recognition that individual is now in heaven. All this other stuff about miracles or "in whom God has worked mightily" is no more than magical thinking and is totally lacking in substance. It definitely is not about "what God does", but about the life the individual led in accord with the social justice the Church espouses. "God is glorified" despite his saints. Each of us is held accountable for our own thoughts, feelings, behaviours and loves e.g. corporeal works of mercy. There is no magic, no exogenous force taking charge of any of us. What man does, man must be accountable for, regardless of the dedication of ones life. We rise and fall on our own merits. Praise be to any of whom led an exemplary life worthy of such recognition. What is a sham is the rush to judgment, for political purposes or some special interest. The wait for induction to the sainthood hall of fame was instituted for good reason, not to be circumvented by silliness...waiting for fabricated miracles.
this is indeed a sham! how on
this is indeed a sham! how on earth can a dead man be beautified?
Too much shallow semantics
Too much shallow semantics almost all delving in one issue of sexual abuse which the beloved Pope John Paul II was never known to have been accused nor committed. EXERCISE YOUR FAITH FOLKS IF YOU HAVE ONE. For all the complexities of this world, it is difficult to be judgmental, least we be judged ourselves. I very highly respect especially the most informed opinion first and foremost of Lory Pieper together with those of Austin, Jose, the non catholic, who deeply admires the late Pope,of NJ Ladybug, Tom Warren, F.r. J, Kimmy. Lawrence, Marianne Smythe, Chris Grady, Ronald Gaspart and Fr. John. I honestly believe and respect all your words and logic and wisdom in coming forward. We do not measure this by the numbers of critical opinions, a lot of which seems to be of repetitious issue of precedent comments and not of discernment or knowledge of facts or of faith. God bless you all who found time in the defense of JPII and God bless even those who have unkind words for the Pope. I am sure he will never take this against you even when the good Pope ultimately becomes Saint. It is a perceive trait that the more he deserves to be a Saint for all times. Sooner of later in God's eternal time.
Amen! Amen!
Amen! Amen!
WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!
WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!
They should just start
They should just start calling all popes saints when they are elected. That would avoid the sham invetigations. The hero worship principle requires all rightwing leaders be sanctified. Automatic sainthood will make the elevation of a Hitler Youth and Werhmacht member much simpler.
All popes should be
All popes should be automatically canonized for accepting day-in and day-out, year-in and year-out, in saintly humility, the criticism of the National Catholic Reporter.
William, you are terrific. I
William, you are terrific. I could not agree more. Why don't they made the current Pope a Saint? and Pope Alexander VI too.
The irony of this choice of
The irony of this choice of date will not be lost on the remaining Communist regimes around the world, calling to mind that Pius XII co-opted the original feast in 1955 to create the Catholic feast day of Saint Joseph THE WORKER.
http://www.stjosephstatueguide.com/st-joseph-statue-guides/the-history-o...
http://www.magnificat.ca/cal/engl/05-01.htm
The irony of the papacy of John-Paul II is that while he was fighting for EXTRAMURAL freedom, autonomy and the eventual downfall of Communist control in his motherland, he was simultaneously extending his own INTRAMURAL centralization of power and control at the Vatican.
http://magazine.nd.edu/news/14715-the-power-of-pope-john-paul-ii/
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Criticism_of_Pope_John_Paul_II
list one "remaining Communist
list one "remaining Communist regime around the world."
China is the most efficient corporate capitalist machine in the world, from whom our sick economy has sucked bucks for decades, since sold out by papa bush, former republican ambassador to China.
Was there ever even one?
aside from our apostolic and monastic communities, of course . . .
or unknowingly the remnants of the Maya rubbed with Pat Robertson's blessing
I find this disturbing. Not
I find this disturbing. Not the sainthood -- I think my own mother and mother-in-law are both saints -- but that's not exactly what Rome means when it canonizes; the miracles, the politics -- all of it gives me an uneasy feeling.
it will be hard for the
it will be hard for the Church to explain in the future how Saint John Paul II was so saintly and yet enabled so many priests to rape children. It will be hard to explain how John Paul the Great was such a misogynist. It will be hard for the future church to explain all the censorship of so many great theologians. It will be hard to explain away the amoral dealing of the Vatican Bank in this era.This Church is destined to get smaller because it continues to paint itself into ethical corners that can not be easily explained away today or tomorrow. Currently when these difficulties with JP II are mentioned, there is a wall of “obedient” silence from the Vatican. The Church is ignoring these difficulties at their own peril . This man was a splendid leader, the problem was the direction he lead. This rush to canonization seems to be more a rush to canonize this man's unfortunate political direction.
He reminds me of a half back that played Notre Dame football in the 1920's or 30s. While in grammar school, I read a book about this player. In a very important game this man received a punt from the other team and proceeded to run for a touchdown into the wrong end zone. This back got the enduring name "Wrong Way Corrigan." This book and book report made a big impression on me at a tender age. How many books will be written about the poor direction of JP II? Will there be enough computer disc space to hold it all? It all goes to show that perhaps we all are saints! (I mean that sincerely.) Perhaps our God is truly merciful enough to help us somehow to get past the lack of real competence shown by this leader and his successor.
we in the philippines are
we in the philippines are happy with the news of the beautification of pope john paul the great....we praise and thank the LORD for this great news... pray an g intercede for us blessed johnpaul!!
Such good news is bound to be
Such good news is bound to be met with mixed response.
We are delighted to say the least.
then why do you remain behnid
then why do you remain behnid the mask of anonymity?
What a political three-ring
What a political three-ring circus the Church has become...give them bread & circuses & maybe the people won't notice the dirty machinations of the hierarchy.
Three cheers for the
Three cheers for the Paraclete. Blessed Magnificenzo, Ora Pro Nobis.
Please, don't blame the Holy
Please, don't blame the Holy Spirit for this one!
This has more to do with the politics of "covering your behind."
Do we have a date for the
Do we have a date for the Beatification of Bernard Law yet?
No, but his accomplice has
No, but his accomplice has just been promoted to auxiliary bishop. No doubt, once Law dies, the Vatican will "Fast-Track" Law's beautification on account of his sufferings in support of pedophile priests!
Do we have a term for
Do we have a term for abuse-obsessed people? If not, we need a neologism.
Here's a story on BXVI and poverty. Your response: What about the abuse! Here's a story about BXVI and the United Nations. Your response: What about the abuse! Here's a story about BXVI and the environment. Your response: What about the abuse!
Here's my response to you and your ilk on these pages: Yawn.
Move on! You are simply boring to us.
There is a word for that -
There is a word for that - baby-boomer (see also: hippie).
Since the canonization of
Since the canonization of Escrivá de Balaguer, all beatifications and canonizations are irrelevant for me. They only serve to glorify a wrotten system.
Right, Fred? I mean, after
Right, Fred?
I mean, after the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist, who needs any more saints?
we do not hear even him!
Respondiendo él, les decía: El que tiene dos túnicas, comparta con el que no tiene; y el que tiene qué comer, haga lo mismo. Lucas 3:11
cf. Santiago 2:14-15
1 Timoteo 6:17-18
Efesios 4:28
Ezequiel 18:7
Isaías 58:7
Matt. 25
Out of joy and seeing the
Out of joy and seeing the courage of our present Pope, tears of joy rolled down my eyes.May God bless this intention and let the day be dawned for the greater glory of God and the Catholic church
Exposes whole process for
Exposes whole process for scam that it is--despite positive spin. So many people in the world have chosen marriage rather than Sainthood.
YOU KNOW UPWARDS TO 90
YOU KNOW UPWARDS TO 90 percent of those declared saints/blessed were church workers, mostly popes, bishops, priests and nuns. Lay people, especially married lay people (including deacons,)apparently don't make good saints unless they get killed in a bunch refusing to denounce their faith.
As it says in Acts 5:38-39,
As it says in Acts 5:38-39, "if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God." So now we have God working a miracle through the intercession of Pope John Paul, while NCR & Co. are losing people in droves. I wonder what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us? - Marianne.
"I wonder what the Holy
"I wonder what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us?" Marianne you need to wonder much more than that. You need to wonder about all of what your wrote.e.g. manufactured miracles, what is of God. etc.
Wonderful! The individual who
Wonderful! The individual who thwarted the reforms of Vatican II, who failed to exercise leadership in the face of the sex abuse crisis, who stuifled criticism and silenced voices that disagreed with his own narrow-minded theology, who appointed a corps of bishops who his strongest defenders decry as second-rate ... this man is being put on a path to sainthood.
I guess the only reasonable reaction is: Who cares?
B16 and his cardinals remind
B16 and his cardinals remind me of the eunuchs who ran the Chinese imperial court during the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
Behind the walls of the Forbidden City the eunuchs stage-managed the emperor's court intrigue between and among dowagers and courtiers and consorts, while outside China was racked with revolution, disease, poverty, starvation and was picked apart by ravenous colonial forces. The Chinese imperial monarchy was totally alienated from the culture and the people.
The Vatican hierarchy is equally irrelevant to the lives of most Catholics. [Small wonder that millions no longer can even stomach affiliating with the church of their birth!] The reason that we don't care about things like "Santo Subito" JP2 is because the hierarchs neither add nor subtract from our lives.
It's time we deposit them on the trash heap of history.
That is exactly my
That is exactly my feeling....who cares! The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church
have lost the voice of the faithful.. There are so many other mortals who
deserve Sainthood...why does the Hierarchy think that we need a mortal who
has not deserved it? We who achieve sainthood are those who follow and obey what we are destined to follow...whether it is being a good mother or father
or worker or someone who has accepted what life has delivered to them....
motherhood, fatherhood. living as a single person, etc. These are the people the church should celebrate...but I never hear from the pulpit any commendation of what we merely mortals have achieved. Who needs Saints...when I can look around my own community and see laity who have risen so far above pope or priest
I have been thinking about
I have been thinking about saints. I think my mother and mother-in-law are both saints, but that's not what Rome means in canonization. Both the miracles and the politics bother me. The balancing, sometimes, of a very popular person with a questionable person bothers me. What exactly are we doing here?
I believe that we have been
I believe that we have been blessed with good and holy popes these last 100 years or so. I also believe pope John Paul 11 was an extra ordinary pope for our times. It is obvious to many that he was chosen by God for our time. Being a saint does mean that he was perfect nor was his pontificate without mistakes. With regard to the critics and his handling the sex abuse crisis, he did not create or perpetuate the crisis. Who knows all the facts surrounding the Marcial
saga. Is it not possible that he was misled and duped by Marcial and his protectors in Rome as many others were. Perhaps the same applies to pope Benedict until the facts became irrefutable that he was a fraud. I suspect in the future, evidence and witnesses will provide a clearer picture what really happened with the dealings regarding the sex crisis and the Marcial case.
What a horrendous slap in the
What a horrendous slap in the face to all who have been
abused by clergy. (Yes, the most agregious abusers were the bishops,
cardinals and popes who chose personal/church status over the well being of the
little ones and refused to protect them). "Matthew 18:6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."
For decades, John Paul II refused to allow any investigation
of Fr. Marcial of the Legionnaires of Christ. Marcial was a close personal
friend and MOST GENEROUS financial benefactor. Sainthood???? "Man's ways
are not God's ways."
Amazing isn't it that nothing much has been done to canonize John XXIII?
Could it possibly be the whole lust for absolute power among the current
hierarchy? One favored it, the other discerned that the "church" was/is
the People of God, not the hierarchy. One is fast tracked to "sainthood."
The other is kept in the closet.
I agree with the above. I,
I agree with the above. I, too, have a very uneasy feeling about John Paul II's fast-track beatification. He was an authoritarian pope who ruled the Catholic Church during his reign in a Communist-like ways, i.e. cover-ups of abuses, silencing those voices who didn't agree with his, lack of compassion for certain groups of people, etc. I don't necessarily doubt his deep spiritual life, but his judgmental ways and closed-mindedness and seeming lack of understanding and compassion for others who didn't conform to what was acceptable to him alienated so many people, including many Catholics. In my opinion, the ways of Blessed Pope John XXIII (his humility, deep compassion, inclusive love for all, non-judgmental ways) were more Christ-like. And yet, his canonization has been put on standstill.
Pope Benedict XVI, being a close friend of Pope John Paul II, is exhibiting personal bias on beatifying Pope Paul II. Favoritism should not play a part in conferring sainthood to anybody - it's not fair and it's not right.
Indeed, what's the hurry if
Indeed, what's the hurry if they truly believe that he is in heaven? Or is this a ploy to attempt whitewashing his failings with abused children?
Obviously, the whole process
Obviously, the whole process is rigged in favor of a political agenda. It would appear that vatican power brokers are determined to drive thinking people from the institution.
Maybe the reason Pope John
Maybe the reason Pope John Paul didn't pay more attention to the sex abuse crisis was that he was busy bringing down the Soviet Union and European Communism. I can understand why NCR and SNAP consider him a failure, but I can't understand why God seems to be working miracles through his intercession. Doesn't God read NCR? (I understand the Trinity read it online to find out what they've been doing wrong all this time.)
God works miracles through
God works miracles through many people, directly and through their earthly prayers. I can name some people in my own life who have worked miracles in me. But none of these people, these daily saints, will ever be canonized. Canonization can be a political tool, and this is an obvious example. His political activities were moral and heroic to an earthly degree; it is the only thing I respect about him, but the Church doesn't canonize people for political heroism per se.
It is just arrogant on the hierarchy's part to claim that a man with this many shortcomings is "instantly" in Heaven. I doubt very much that the God who appointed him vicar over the universal Catholic Church is not requiring him to undergo purification for his utter neglect of the American Church. There can be no excuse for that, and there was nothing "saintly" about that.
What's the rush? Or, do they
What's the rush?
Or, do they need to push this through before other "stuff" surfaces?
The canonization process was
The canonization process was a farce under JP2 and now he is supposedly the beneficiary of this charade. If the Vatican can't canonize John XXIII, then no one deserves the honor.
However, I'm certain JP2 made it to heaven for one reason only: Our Lady greeted him at the gates, shook her finger at him and said, "Shame on you for how you treated my daughters and sisters."
It's interesting that Rome
It's interesting that Rome fast-tracked John Paul II's beatification, when they made no effort to fast-track dealing with predator priests or enabling bishops. Show's where the clerical oligarchy's priorites are.
John XXIII is the pope-hero
John XXIII is the pope-hero of progressive Catholics; John Paul II is the pope-hero of conservative Catholics. The tension between conservatives and progressives is the most obvious devisive faultline among Catholics. Ergo, the fast-tracking of one pope's cause over the other's will and should be understood as a political statement. It is predictable that it will be so understood and so trumpeted by conservatives. Just as JP2's Catechism of the Caholic Church has become a hammer for the conservatives to use against progressives, so too will his canonization.
Further, Vatican II backsliding began under John Paul II; and among its many, many consequences, has been the slowing (if not stalling) of the ecumentical movement. Therefore, IMHO, it is not unreasonable to add that the preferential treatment of JP2 over J23 would be a slap in the face of universal Christianity. Just how seriously do we take Christ's plea "That we be one."
In what way can JPII said to
In what way can JPII said to be receiving "preferential treatment"? John XXIII has already been beatified and is merely waiting a second miracle to become a saint. Do you have any information that suggests the Vatican is sitting on another miracle and refusing to allow Pope John to be canonized? If so, please bring it forward.
The whole attempt to pit JXXIII against JPII is utterly silly. It was pretty much invented by rabid conservatives on one side and rabid progressives on the other. Neither one has much to do with the facts, or any common sense view of history. I believe the Vatican is taking the long view in honoring both of them as "Blessed." The timing is influenced by many factors, and you haven't brought up a shred of proof in favor of a "poltical" motive.
If the so-called "progressives" tout JXXIII as their hero, they are wrong. Good Pope John would have fainted in horror at some of the things supported in his name, like abortion. He condemned abortion, in case you're not aware of it. Did he ever give any sign he was in favor of artificial birth control? Women priests? Married priests? The whole shebang?
If all this is what you think the "real Vatican II" is about, you are wrong. John Paul II, on the other hand, was one of the Council Fathers and one of the architects of Vatican II.
Both JPII and JXXIII have a huge amount more in common with each other than they do with any of the NCR gang. The only consolation is that they are now both praying in heaven for you.
Blessed Pope John XXIII, pray for us!
Blessed John Paul II, pray for us!
John the 23rd did not believe
John the 23rd did not believe that he alone was the church or had all the answers.That is why he called a council & allowed free & open debate believing in the Spirit. John Paul II blatantly rejected governing the church with his brother bishops as Vatican II taught & put yes men who agreed with him on everything from contraception being wrong in all cases regardless of hungry children,sick mother,poverty to being in favour of abortion should a 9 year old girl be raped & impregnated as happened in Brazil. John the XIIi set up a comission to look into birth control showing an openess to the question.John the XXIII also knew history well & how change usually begins from the people who are the church
The big difference between
The big difference between Roncalli (John XXIII) and Wotylya (J P II):
The former, when outlining his thoughts on Vatican II, clearly stated that everything was up for discussion and that there was to be no condemnation, while the latter not only frequently condemned, but also forbade discussion of unresolved matters, e.g. women priests.
Just a stray thought: I love the freudian slip which frequently occurs in this thread where 'beautification' is substituted for 'beatifaction'. Could this be The Spirit at work?????
Two other differences: 1.
Two other differences:
1. Roncalli failed to complete his mission. By dying prematurely, he abandoned an important process to opportunists who hijacked the outcome of the council for their own twisted ends.
2. Roncalli also showed poor situational awareness in failing to recognize that radical theologians, clergy and women religious had started inculcating young people with poor theology, liturgy and socialist propaganda at the start of his pontificate. JPII's actions appear severe primarily because they took place decades after the slide into the abyss had begun. Roncalli's prompt action early on would not have appeared so drastic.
By the way, there's nothing to indicate that either Roncalli or Montini supported a clergy composed of anyone but men at the start or end of the Council respectively.
after wojo and ratzo are
after wojo and ratzo are there ANY real Catholics left?
This is simply corruption.
This is simply corruption. Does the Vatican think this will bring needed good publicity or something? And whatever happened to the "Devil's Advocate" part of the process?
The whole thing is unseemly.
Desperate to cover their
Desperate to cover their tracks!
The wanton rape and sodomy of children by priests and bishops has revealed the depths of the betrayal and corruption of the Catholic hierarchy.
Both JP2 and B16 are implicated up to their eyeballs!
By engaging in this "sainthood" kabuki dance, the hierarchy is hoping to distract public attention (especially among the weak minded) away from an examination of JP2's papacy, with his trusted partner and consigliere Joseph Ratzinger, now B16, which oversaw the dismantling of the legacy of Vatican II and the alienation and disaffection of millions of Catholics around the world from anything resembling Catholic religious practice.
JP2 and B16 have a lot to answer for. The Vatican hopes that this turn at hero-worship, worthy of the North Korean repressive regime, will forestall the day when things finally come home to roost.
If anyone needs to be at the
If anyone needs to be at the head of the line for sainthood, it is John XXIII and Mother Theresa. In my view, the harm that John Paul II did in stacking the deck to undo the Vatican II reforms, his handling of the sexual abuse crisis, and his views toward women and inclusiveness far outweigh any good that he did during his long pontificate. But, the hierarcy will do what the hierarchy wants to do. Even if the "miracle" is now suspect, it will suffice to justify the accelerated pace to move him along to sainthood. It certainly makes one wonder about the integrity of the process.
I agree about Angelo
I agree about Angelo Roncalli/John XXIII, but not Mother Teresa. She was a bit too close to dictators to suit me, and a publicity hound to boot.
There are a million jokes in
There are a million jokes in the catholic church. This is just one of them. Unbelievable in light of his complicity in the child sexual abuse scandal.
A supporter of Father Maciel
A supporter of Father Maciel now a saint officially?
Interesting that with all of
Interesting that with all of his baggage, this Pope is going to be beatified. Let's add two more to the three objections - the failure to dialogue throughout his pontificate in a significant way with the women who make up more than fifty percent of the baptized Catholic population and the failure to acknowledge the martyrdom of the four women and the Jesuit martyrs in Latin America as cause, in and of itself, for canonization.
I still say there should be
I still say there should be the five year waiting period...given that his papacy spanned such an extraordinary time period, it can't all have been evaluated as yet in light of its ramifications to the faithful throughout the world. Many have no other to compare him to.
This is wonderful news. Ven.
This is wonderful news. Ven. John Paul the Great was a fantastic Pope. The Church is blessed to have him as a Blessed.
Dear Fr. J, Thank you for
Dear Fr. J, Thank you for your comments. Today you have a most difficult job. How can one teach about the LOVE and SACRIFICE of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST in the darkness of Liberation Theology and Evolutionary Christianity? How do these non-logical "doctrines" spring up and worse espoused by people claiming to be Roman Catholic? Monasticism was developed by past SAINTS and these people saw the need to separate from worldly things to give praise, glory, and adulation to GOD every minute of every day. RENEWAL should be undertaken soon. GOD GIVE US LIGHT NOW AND FOREVERMORE!
"Most of the miracles in
"Most of the miracles in sainthood causes are healings, and the Vatican has historically applied three standards to ascertain if a healing qualifies. It must be “complete,” meaning it’s not enough if the person merely feels better or shows some improvement; “instantaneous,” as opposed to a recovery that unfolds over weeks, months, or longer; and it must be “durable,” meaning that the condition does not return. In addition, the healing must be medically and scientifically inexplicable."
What happens when medical science finds a natural explication in the future?
What is the problem? Of
What is the problem? Of course John Paul II deserves instataneoous cannization,
wasn't he a chief benefactor for the outstanding and honorable Legsionaires of
Christ and their most revered founder, Marcial Degollado? Cetainly, no one expexted Rome to act on the Sainthood of John XXIII or Mother Theresa of Calcutta, who
simply rest in the so called Limbo of possible saints. When willl we realize that
the Captain of the Titantic, as it was sinking, simply sat on the deck and watched
the chairs slide from side to side, while not realizing the ship was really sinking.
When are we finally going to admit that the true art of coverup is practiced to
perfection in Rome? And never let us forget that, "Roma locutus est, casua est finita" or in the vernacular, "Rome has spoken , the casue is finished".
John P.Lynch
I loved John Paul so much
I loved John Paul so much when he first became pope. But, he was not the same person in his later days. If the "official" Church declares him a saint, world opinion of the Catholic Church will be even lower.
I am very uncomfortable with this rush to beatification. So many horrible things happened in the last days of John Paul's papacy - things that he should have FIXED. I personally feel he was not well, and his advisors should have encouraged him to resign. Instead, they chose to keep themselves in power. Under John Paul's watch, and maybe even with the guidance of his inner circle, wrong decisions were made with respect to problems with pedophilia, with un-Christian prelates, and compassion in decisions about life crises. Under John Paul's watch, decisions were made that did not serve the Catholic Church or its people.
It's especially unnerving that this move is being orchestrated by the very same people who are responsible for the chaos in our ranks. What a slap in the face to all those victims who appealed to John Paul, only to have him (and his advisors) support the guilty instead.
He may have been a personally
He may have been a personally good and holy man in many ways and I might agree that he really didnt understand the magnitude or true causes of priest sexual abuse or that bishops needed to take responsibility, however rushing to proclaim his sainthood is a misguided and reprehensible action on the part of the Vatican. It denigrates the intelligence of the laity and further harms those who were abused by minimizing their pain. Sainthood should be simply a ratification of what is apparent to most Catholics after many years and not another authoritarian pronouncement from the hierarchy made so quickly it defies common sense.
Religion is asinine.
Religion is asinine.
We Catholics are a silly
We Catholics are a silly bunch, aren't we!
There must be a mutated gene somewhere that makes Catholics especially vulnerable to strenuous efforts to divine someone's place in heaven, in the hereafter. [Wherever, or whatever, that is?]
I'm reminded of the novel, "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Toole.
The best commentary on all this is actually hanging in the Sistine Chapel behind the main altar: The Last Judgement by Michelangelo, el Divino. No pope-saints on that fresco!
Bravo! Although I'm not
Bravo! Although I'm not Catholic, I deeply admire Pope John Paul II and consider him to have been one of the most important people in the twentieth century. His experiences living under the two most brutal political systems in history--Nazism and communism--and his consistent ability to show love to the world make him a model to us all. Yes, Santo Subito!
There is precedent. Look how
There is precedent. Look how quickly Ronald Reagan was canonized by the Right!
Joy! Can not wait to start
Joy! Can not wait to start calling him the Blessed John Paul II!!!
Post new comment