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:"
LOL
Mort Kondrake on Fox News last night was saying that the Catholics should look for a more "liberal" Pope this time because JP11 was too conservative because of the abortion, gay marriage, abstinence issues...
I thought Fred Barnes was gonna jump him...and even Charles Krauthammer and Chris Wallace were surprised that Kondrake would make that suggestion...
They all said that the Pope's conservativeness is what MADE him the respected Pope that he was!
The Catholic Church Sens. Flip-Flop and Chappaquiddick go to...
Does Drudge have this?
That is my favorite picture of the Pope..Joking around with all the Young People who had come to see him that day-letting them know, "I see you."
If you saw the Pic's from St. Peter's Square as the Pope came nearer and nearer to his death. So many of those there praying for him, chanting, "Don't leave us Papa" were young people.
I find it notable that his last message this morning was to the young people- "I came looking for you, and now you come looking for me. I thank you."
Their pope is John Kerry.
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Did you make this up? I can't find it.
I was watching that. In a way, it was kind of hilarious. There he was, a non-Catholic, suggesting that the Catholic church just go the way of the protestant denominations that are moving with the "culture". I'm listening to two ladies discuss what will be "looked for" in the next Pope, and it is pretty hilarious as well.
I (an Evangelical) had the privilege of praying for him over the 1MC on the Cruiser I serve on two nights ago.
Me too. The NY Times staff lives in parts of Manhattan and socialize in circles where they never, ever meet a practicing Christian. The only Catholics thay bump into are the Salvadoran cleaning girls coming in at night to the Times building offices.
What's more, the death of the Pope leaves the NYT in an awkward position. Yhe Pope's death leaves George Bush as the world's leading Christian and foremost Christian leader. The new Pope may take this role, but he will need time to get established. Bush has the moral integrity and stature to, in effect, speak for the world's Christians and the NYTs doesn't like that one bit!
And, of course, the NYT is run by neocommunist scumbag dem liberal progressive crapweasels and they don't like ANYTHING Christian!
"MeekOneGOP""Admin Moderator"please""A homophobe old guy who was scared of condoms." Ah, what love. What honor they give him."ENOUGH!!!!
You served your country and you are a devout Christian. You are utterly hated by the democrats, no matter what their deceptive spin is currently.
I would love to see the NYT say anything bad about Islam. They won't because they can only pick on a religion that won't sneak into their homes at night and slice their fool heads off. Scum bagz, all of 'em.
Oh that is just the most pitifully funny thing I have seen.
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