This is for you America good persons Thank you:{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{
Posted on 04/02/2005 4:39:18 PM PST by BCrago66
Pope John Paul II died this afternoon. The New York Times reports on his papacy in an article that inadvertently tells us more than the Times really wanted us to know. The Times had its criticisms of John Paul's papacy ready to go, but apparently went looking for something good to say about the Pope at the last minute:
Even as his own voice faded away, his views on the sanctity of all human life echoed unambiguously among Catholics and Christian evangelicals in the United States on issues from abortion to the end of life.
need some quote from supporter
John Paul II's admirers were as passionate as his detractors, for whom his long illness served as a symbol for what they said was a decrepit, tradition-bound papacy in need of rejuvenation and a bolder connection with modern life.
"The situation in the Catholic church is serious," Hans Kung, the eminent Swiss theologian, who was barred by from teaching in Catholic schools because of his liberal views, wrote last week. "The pope is gravely ill and deserves every compassion. But the Church has to live. ...
In my opinion, he is not the greatest pope but the most contradictory of the 20th century. A pope of many, great gifts, and of many bad decisions!"
Among liberal Catholics, he was criticized for his strong opposition to abortion, homosexuality and contraception, as well as the ordination of women and married men. Though he was never known as a strong administrator of the dense Vatican bureaucracy, he kept a centralizing hand on the selection of bishops around the world and enforced a rigid adherence to many basic church teachings among the clergy and Catholic theologians.
There you have it. The Times' criticisms are ready to go, a few good words for the Pope are an afterthought.
UPDATE: I got a screen grab of the second page of the Times article, just before they changed it to delete the "need some quote from supporter:"
Beautiful, thank you!!
Boy, that's rich. They couldn't find someone ... out of the millions in his congregation ... to say a good word for JPII.
By contrast, NPR had some very evenhanded coverage this afternoon. They had to talk about his opposition to women's ordination, of course, and the other things the NY Times talked about, but they ALSO talked at great length about how instrumental he was to the rise of Solidarity and the fall of Communism in Poland. They also pointed out that he was tremendously popular on a personal level. They had one cute story about when he was a bishop (I think) and was coaching kids for some test (sorry, not being Catholic, I don't remember the name of it). When the kids would forget the answers, he would laugh and pull their ears (gently, one assumes), then whisper hints to help them out.
I was surprised at my own reaction to his death. I shed tears, though I am not Catholic. He was one of the world's great warriors.
I think it had to do with the thought that they wanted to support peace, not war, and viewed it as a pro-life position...Catholics often tend to be that way.
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Great catch.
Have you seen some of the great pictures of the pope with Reagan?
Hopefully, John Paul II is praying for them at this very moment.
Yes I do not want write:{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{I do feel{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Thank you
No one at the Times likely has any names in their Rolodexes of anyone truly Catholic.
ROTFL!! What a great picture of such a wonderful man!
At least the Times is as consistantly evil as ever.
As a protestant child growing up in a catholic school, my impression of Catholicism was that it was governed by fear. Can't count the number of times on Monday mornings seeing catholic students throwing up before assembly because they had not been to mass the previous day.
Then here comes John Paul 11 with his message of LOVE!
No wonder the youth of the world adores this Pope.
This is for you America good persons Thank you:{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{
I am surprised, and frankly, disappointed. The paper edition of the Times today (Saturday) was quite respectful and informative about the Pope's impending death, the crowds, and the upcoming conclave.
But I should not have been. When Richard Nixon died, I predicted to a friend that the main Times story would run a quote from the (still-living, but gone from the public scene for decades) communist spy Alger Hiss ... and run this quote ABOVE THE FOLD. As I recall, I was right on both counts. Such things are messages of war and hatred directed to Middle America. And if in fact the Times tomorrow stresses "controversies" of the Pope's tenure over his character and achievements, we will have another message of war and hated ... directed, this time, against all of Christendom and the cause of freedom which this great "Pope of Popes" so massively served.
Lately I have also admired him for reaching out to protect Terri against this murder.
He's been such a force for good--I am delighted at the confusion and consternation he still sows among the evil.
Thank you good America friend!!!:{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Thank you!!!:{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{
they can't touch Paul.. he is the perfect example of what a spiritual leader should be...compared to others like those crazy mullahs.. John Paul II towers like a giant over all religions
Thank you for the wonderful pictures.
Godspeed, friend.
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