By Michael Mullins
The Cathnews
May 1, 2011
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=26102
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Victims of clerical sex abuse are criticising the beatification of Pope John Paul II as "rubbing more salt into the wounds" caused by the abuse crisis.
The National Catholic Reporter's John Allen quotes the counter-argument from two bishops who worked with the late pope, one a Slovakian and the other an American.
Both insist the crisis does not disqualify John Paul from sainthood, even though they admit the handling of the sexual abuse crisis during the John Paul years was flawed.
"If you take his personality as a whole, you'll have the measure of the man," said Cardinal Jozef Tomko, "He was so clear, so transparent, and so honest." Meanwhile Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul-Minneapolis said John Paul II found revelations of priestly abuse "deplorable and painful".
America's Austen Ivereigh says John Paul "equip[ped] the Church to go out to the world with renewed vigour and confidence. And in this, Pope John Paul was undoubtedly a hero, and deserves all the superlatives which have been lavished on him."
As for the critics, Ivereigh quotes Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, who said the beatification "is not a prize for good management. It's an acclamation that this person was close to God".
Tom Fox of the National Catholic Reporter suggests history will regard the beatification as a reminder that "Pope John Paul II, whatever his personal holiness, was a flawed pontiff. We know the list of charges, some of them by Vatican II supporters who say that he did all he could, despite words to the contrary, to pull back the church from the mid-20th century reforms and renewals of that council. However, the most pressing charge of all -- and the one that might look most unkindly in church history -- is that he put church interests, institutional interests, ahead of the protection of vulnerable children.. Instead of outrage and immediate action, there was only silence on his part."
William Oddie of the Catholic Herald credits John Paul II with beginning "the fightback against the smoke of Satan". He believes "it will take 100 years to recover from the 1960s and 70s: but John Paul set us back on course [after] the reign of the unhappy Pope Paul VI, during which forces of disintegration were unleashed within the Church".
Elena Curti of The Tablet says the beatification had a special significance for Poles, whose nation has "become affected by a tide of secularism and materialism. They are looking to the new Blessed to help them turn back that tide."
Apriestdownunder quotes US fellow blogger Fr Z, who refers to the rising "Santo Subito� Sainthood Soon" chant of the people that began when John Paul died in 2005, and reflects: "A pebble can prompt a tumultuous landslide. John Paul dropped a great many stones. Many of them are still gathering speed."
In America's In All Things blog, Francis X. Clooney SJ uses yesterday's Doubting Thomas Gospel to reflect on the many who were prompted to walk away from the Church during the John Paul's pontificate, and those who have stayed.
"Some had simply walked away when they could no longer see Jesus as they used to see him; some were probably shocked at the betrayal of Judas and the cowardice of Peter� And there are those like Thomas, still in the Church, still very much in the midst of the community, who cannot at the moment see what the [the non-doubting faithful have] seen, but is also unwilling to walk away from it all."
Sentire Cum Ecclesia quotes from Benedict XVI's homily: "He gave us the strength to believe in Christ, because Christ is Redemptor hominis, the Redeemer of man. This was the theme of his first encyclical, and the thread which runs though all the others."
Holy Irritant is one of the few bloggers to refer to the presence at the beatification of disgraced Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe - "Vatican blesses Mugabe and wonders why Catholics abandon the Church!!!"
"As recently as April 18 Amnesty International expressed concerns� It is even more amazing that the Mugabes scored front row seats at this Vatican event when he was recently quoted as saying: "�All Catholic bishops are liars, they demonise my party every day. Mugabe's welcome at the Vatican stands in stark contradiction to the isolation and excommunication meted out to Sr. Margaret McBride and Fr Roy Bourgeois who remain among my contemporary heroes of the Gospel."
On the other big event of the weekend � the Royal Wedding � Holy Irritant reports that the blogsphere is buzzing with people interested to know something about those Nuns at the Royal Nuptials.
"The two Sisters� made a few cameo appearances particularly while the bridal couple were seated as they sat next door in somewhat drab haute couture. They are members of the Community of the Sisters of the Church, an Anglican order of religious women. One of them I presume was Sr Judith, an Australian born member of the community who scored the Chaplain's job at the Abbey in 2007. But here is where the mystery deepens."
The highlight for Arnold Jago was the the text of Romans 12, read "with apparent conviction" by James Middleton. "If one lives God's way, there will be enemies. But we are not to treat them as such."
Catholic Herald blogger Father Alexander Lucie-Smith heads his piece: "Contemporary Britain is in crisis. May the royal wedding bring renewal". He reflects on what he calls the "decline of empire". "Every empire falls for a simple reason: a lack of self-belief. And our leaders don't seem to believe anything much any more� The Prince marries his bride... may this be a moment of national � and moral � renewal.
Sentire Cum Ecclesia praises the words of the Bishop of London - "without doubt, the best wedding sermon I have ever heard� Complete with a quotation from St Catherine of Siena 'whose feast day it is', and ending with the Maundy Thursday motet "Ubi caritas", signifying service in love� A fine service in every way. Beautiful music, majestic hymns, dignified language."
Country Deacon "was impressed by the pomp and ceremony", in particular the rite of matrimony. He refers to a comment that, once it is established, the Anglican Ordinariate "will attract enormous interest from Roman Catholics who wish to be married according to the [superior] Anglican-use rite. Having watched the royal wedding, I can see why". He says the Royal Wedding "might have helped things along".
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