Columnists' (favorable) opinions on beatification of John Paul II (Catholic Caucus)

Catholic Culture ^ | April 30, 2011 | Diogenes

[NYer]

While some other columnists complain that John Paul II is being beatified too quickly, Peggy Noonan takes the opposite tack, arguing that the Church should move on promptly to canonize him.

Father James Schall remarks: "I have the impression that every man who ever met John Paul II, especially if he was a man of social, intellectual, or political stature, knew that he was meeting a greater man than he."

Quin Hillyer, in the American Spectator, agrees. After reviewing the life of the late Pope, he finds it impossible to resist the conclusion that he was "one of the greatest men not just of this age, but of any age in recorded history." (Hillyer seems to be under the mistaken impression that this Sunday's ceremony will be a canonization, but leave that aside.)

William Oddie, writing in the Catholic Herald, credits the Polish Pontiff with the beginning of a Catholic recovery from the unhappy fallout of Vatican II. Oddie believes that his most impressive achievement "was that he did more than any pope of the last century to defend and reassert beyond any doubt the stable and objective character of Catholic teaching."

Father James Martin, SJ, tells readers of the Washington Post that although he himself can be classified as a liberal, and was not enthusiastic about everything that Pope John Paul II did, he remains happy with the beatification, because: "We beatify a Christian, not an administrator."

And the ubiquitous John Allen, writing this time for BBC, points out that Pope John Paul II is not the first person to receive "fast-track" treatment from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. There are always reasons for that treatment, he explains, and they apply neatly to this case.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Make Him a Saint (Wall Street Journal)

• Pope John Paul II’s legacy of love (Catholic World Report)

• Saint Wojtyla (American Spectator)

• Sunday’s beatification will be of a holy pope who began the fightback against the smoke of Satan (Catholic Herald)

• Why a liberal Catholic likes Blessed John Paul II (Washington Post)

• John Paul II beatification: Politics of saint-making (BBC)

[NYer]

Ping!

[Mrs. Don-o]

The Blessed's Jewish friends in the drama society (when he was a student-actor in what was known as the Rhapsodic Theatre) called him Lolek, which is short for Karol. Now that people are calling him "Blessed John Paul the Great," those who remmeber the old days call him "Lolek the Mensch."

Personally, I like that very much.

[Salvation]

Just got these put together.

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SPECIAL: Popes Pius XII, John Paul II declared 'venerable'
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Benedict XVI to declare John Paul II venerable at the Vatican (12/19)

[Tax-chick]

I could not be happier at the Holy Father’s beatification, and I’m sure he will be declared a saint in the fulness of time. A little anticipation just makes the outcome more exciting!

[ScubieNuc]

According to the Bible, any believer in Christ was a saint. I truely don’t understand all of the post-life rigamarole to give someone a title after they are dead. Besides, regardless of what we may think of a person here on Earth, only God truely knows their heart, therefore, the end decision on if someone is truely a believer, or saint, is God.

But, whatever, people can do whatever they want as long as it doesn’t violate my rights.

[Tax-chick]

I can’t imagine how any proclamation of the Catholic Church regarding anyone’s sanctity (or non-) could violate your rights. You are legally and morally free to believe anything you want about anyone.

[RobbyS]

The term “saint” means “holy one”. I guess that the biblical writers had particular people in minds when they spoke of the saints, persons of high reputation who weres of judged on the basis of their works.

[ScubieNuc]

You are correct that saint is synonomous with Holy. Early Christians where probably called saints because when we accept Jesus, His Holy Spirit comes into us. In other words, we can be called holy because He, Jesus, is holy.

Here is a link which is a good source for the definition of saint/holy and where it is found.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=G40&t=KJV&page=3

My point was more along the lines of the early, New Testament, Christian church doesn’t indicate any kind of post life meetings to confer a title of saint on people. In fact, when you look at the saint passages, they are primarily referencing living people.

But, like I mentioned before, there is no “skin off of my nose” if the Catholic church wishes to create extra hoops or ceremonies for people they respect.

[RobbyS]

I don’t concede that “saints.” means anything more in the New Testament than what it means to Catholics today, which is persons of heroic virtue. “Accepting Jesus Christ” requires totus tuus. The role of “living saint” is as the New England Puritans discovered a hard one to perform and even harder to pass on to one’s children. Which is why the martyrs were the first to be reverenced by the Church and featured by John in his Revelation. “Confessors,” which is what you all claim to be, were only gradually recognized as equally worthy.

[Mrs. Don-o]

ScubieNuc, your reflections on the meaning of saint/holy are fine by me. There is a universal call to holiness: everyone is called to be a saint. The novelist Leon Bloy said, "There is only one tragedy in life: and that is not to have been a saint."

Nevertheless, God does choose to point, by wonders, to some of His creatures whose blessedness in heaven is assured. For instance, the incident where a dead man was brought back to life upon making contact with the bones of the prophet Elisha 2_Kings/13-21 (Link) That is the sort of miracle that leads to canonization in the Catholic Church. It requires some manifestation of God's approal.

I think the customs for canonization were intended, paradoxically, both to promote one sort of popular acclaim, and to curb another sort. What I mean is, there is always the danger that popular zeal with "canonize" people who are really quite unsaintly. One thinks of the Soviet dictator Lenin's body pseudo-sanctified in its mausoleum, or Elvis Presley with his endless portraits on black velvet, or any rich guy you want to mention, named in countless memorial auditoriums, memorial libraries, even memorial highways.

To curb this sort of thing ---- canonization for power, fame, or wealth --- the Church developed a custom which sought both to gather testimony of a person's heroic virtue, and to collect documentation of actual miracles. The later are usually quite rigorously supported by evidence.

It's a good thing. It causes people to admire what is truly admirable, to honor the honorable, to love the lovable. To this we are called, ScubieNuc. "Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints!"

[Tax-chick]

Excellent summary, Mrs. Don-o. Help yourself to a pangolin.

An additional meaning of “holy” is “set apart for a sacred purpose,” which is a very meaningful concept for Christians. We are “set apart” by our Baptism, and our sins, of themselves, do not eliminate that status.

[Mrs. Don-o]

As in, "Scales of Justice"?

[MinuteGal]

To me, Pope John Paul II will alway be a part of the greatest earthly triumverate that ever lived....the Pope, President Reagan and Prime Minister Thatcher.

Together, they took on the most powerful and aggressive foe that freedom ever faced....and beat it down!

Leni

[Tax-chick]

You can use his fewmets for fertilizer.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks - new word for me. I wonder if it’s related to “fumigate,” what you do after you deal with fumits?

[Tax-chick]

Could be ... on a cold day, the fumes rising from the fewmets ...

In those sad pre-Webster times, spelling was everywhichwhere.

[RobbyS]

Well. people like Mother Teresa and and Padre Pio, and many others who live saintly lives are often pointed out as such during their lifetimes. I am sure that the early Church would have done the same, noticed persons of exceptional faith. Recognition after death is ratification of that opinion. But I guess your contention is that after death they are oblivious to the events of earth, have cut all earthly ties, and are asleep until Judgement Day. Nothing in the Bible demands that we believe this, but you are free to think so.

[kearnyirish2]

Where do Pius IX and Pius XII stand at this point? Converstions about their canonizations seem to have stopped completely; I’d think they’d be at least as much a priority as JPII.