Ubi Petrus, Ibi Ecclesia. JPII is pope. Michael Matt is not. Chris Ferrara is not. Tom Woods is not. Solange Herz is not. John Rao is not. John Galvin is not. And none of them will be. Yet, the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church, as we are guaranteed on the Highest Authority. Matt, Ferrara, Woods, et al., are beginning to sound like those every morning callers on the first half-hour of C-SPAN's Washington Journal who believe that Bush was selected and not elected, that Bush had Wellstone assassinated, that drugs are a Republican plot to keep ghetto folks from power and in jail, etc.
One might also summarize this silly "analysis" by Michael Matt as a tantrum of jealousy that, inexplicably, Catholics listen to and love this great pope (not merely as a fellow human as Matt suggests) and, confound it, fail to put Matt, Woods, Ferrara, et al., on a higher pedestal. These people are sooooooooooo tiresome. AND, there was, gasp, rock 'n roll at some of the youth gatherings! Doesn't that just prove it all?
And to top it all off: This pope is found wanting on matters of geo-politics? Does anyone remember the Iron Curtain, the Soviet Union, the drudgery that was Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, et al.? Those memories ar fading fast, aren't they? JPII may know more even that Michael Matt, Chris Ferrara and Tom Woods rolled into one! Just a guess.
Just what is it that distinguishes Michael Matt, Christopher Ferrara and Tom Woods, in modus operandi and insolence from the Church's honest enemies who proclaim themselves as such? I sure cannot tell.
How about this: They believe and defend every one of the defined, infallible dogmas of the Church. I would venture to say that this separates them from Protestants, Jews, Muslims, etc. The real question is, does it also separate them from virtually all of the current hierarchy of the Catholic Church?