Titanic Post

In the early August of 1978, I had occasion to be in Rome on business. On the 6th of August, Pope Paul died while I was there. In late September I was again in Rome when the then newly elected Pope John Paul died after only thirty-three days in office. Some of my Italian friends suggested that there was a strong correlation between my presence in Rome and the mortality in the papal office. Two Popes out of 265 cannot bring about a strong correlation, just for the record.

While correlation, no matter how strong, does not show cause, I couldn’t help but think that my life had somehow connected to the Vatican and the Papacy. I later became interested in the newly elected Pope John Paul II who now appears to be in the final hours of his life.

I am not Catholic nor do I subscribe to any other dogmatic religion, but I have always been interested in the correlation between religions and social justice, or the lack thereof. John Paul II promised to be an important figure and I was not to be disappointed.

We Americans tend to see John Paul II in the light of his stands on abortion, contraception, women’s rights, and celibacy, but I see him and his work differently. To me he was the Pope of peace. He spoke out for reconciliation with Jews, the first Pope to ever do so. He spoke out in defense of a Palestinian state. He built bridges between Christianity and Islam. I see his influence in Eastern Europe as the prime mover of the people to rise against the communist regimes, which eventually led to the overthrow of the Soviet Union. I know that you probably think it was President Reagan who did that and I’m sure he helped it along, but it was mainly the Pope — and McDonald’s presence in Moscow, I might add.

Yes, he is the CEO of the Catholic Church and has to be mindful of the bottom line and the viability of the organization; however, throughout his papacy, John Paul II has consistently spoken out against war, oppression, poverty, pollution, and all injustices. He has worked for the elimination of the death penalty, which, along with his words against abortion, I see as a seamless regard for human life.

It is true that his voice has been, at least partially, drowned out by the moneyed interests of the world and their political puppets, but Pope John Paul II has changed many hearts and given us all ideas to ponder and goals to achieve. As for me, I promise to stay away from Rome, just in case, and I will hope that the new Pope has the stature and dignity of his predecessor. Long live John Paul II!