Your Occasional Pope

By Charles P. Pierce
The Esquire
April 21, 2014

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/Saints_Be_Praised

Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images

Holy Mother Church is making saints again, and what a fine hash it is, too.

On April 27, Papa Francis is going to canonize both John Paul II and John XXIII. This is a very shrewd move, because there are a lot of people -- like me -- who consider JP The Deuce as a world-historical figure who deserves more credit for ending the Cold War than does, say, Ronald Reagan, but who also consider him a terrible pope -- a theological reactionary and bully who was tougher on theology professors than he ever was on clerical rapists. He got fast-tracked onto the calendar of saints so that Peggy Noonan would not cry bitter tears into her Grey Goose. And, of course, now, all kinds of embarrassing chickens are coming home to roost.

Letter from John Paul's personal secretary, Monsignor Stanislaw Dziwisz, to the prefect of the Congregation for Religious, with the pope's approval of the Legion's constitutions, despite Vatican reservations that they include too many rules.

The process of John Paul's canonization began before Francis's watch began. But it was the latter's decision to include John XXIII, good Pope John, in the festivities, thereby throwing bones -- Not literally. This isn't the Middle Ages -- to both wings of the Church. (Alas for all concerned, Maciel was quite the perv going back decades, including the brief papacy of John XXIII.) The politics of it are deft. The theology of it, less so,

Pope Francis decided to waive John XXIII's second miracle so he could canonize both popes together, which has caused speculation about just what Francis hopes to get out of the deal. "Pope Francis made a calculated political decision on canonizing the two popes, trying to bring some unity to a fractured church," says Jason Berry, author of Render Unto Rome, who has written extensively on the Catholic Church.

What I am already worrying about is that Good Pope John is going to get buried under an avalanche of rightist nostalgia for John Paul II, during which the sexual abuse scandal is likely not to be mentioned. John is a figure of ancient history now. John Paul was a media superstar. This is the kind of thing I'm already dreading.

I am honored that former Polish President Lech Walesa, Newt Gingrich and President Reagan's son Michael and I have been chosen to lead a discussion about the legacy of Pope John Paul II and the inspirational leadership of Pope Francis.

The Basilica Of Our Lady Of The D List should be jammed.