A Final Tribute

Friday April 8, 2005

+ John Paul II

He was a good and Godly man.

Readings: Book of Wisdom 7:1-9 11; 21-22 I Thess 5:12-27 John 14:1-7

“I also am mortal, as is everyone else,
a descendant of the first formed child of the earth;
and in the womb of a mother,
I was molded into flesh,
within the period of ten months.

And when I was born,
I began to breathe the common air,
and feel upon the kindred earth;

My first sound was a cry, as is true of all.
I was nursed with care in infant’s clothing,
for no king has had a different beginning of existence;
there is for all one entrance into life,
and one way out.

Therefore, I prayed
and understanding was given me;
I called upon God,
and the spirit of wisdom came to me.

I preferred her to scepters and thrones,
and I accounted wealth
as nothing in comparison with her.
Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem,
because all gold is but little sand in her sight.

And so all good things came to be along with her,
and in her hands, uncounted wealth.
I learned both what is secret
and what is manifest,
for wisdom, the fashioner of all things taught me.”
[Wisdom 7:1-0, 11; 21-22]

The death and burial of a world leader is always the occasion for tribute from people of high and low estate. But when the world leader is a person of extraordinary religious prominence such as John Paul II, the impact increases exponentially and it is right and proper that every ‘inch’ of protocol be observed without compromise. Nowhere in the world and perhaps at no time in modern history was this ever truer than at the funeral of Karol Wojtyla.

Karol Wojtila, the Man and the Pope

What took place in St. Peter’s Square before the great basilica was an astounding show of human strength if not endurance for many who were privileged to attend. It was a long and very Catholic ceremony. Surely everyone must have experienced more than a little inconvenience to be present to say nothing of the discomfort in having to stand for hours even before the ceremonies began. But it was more an outstanding demonstration of reverence for the man and for the Church. It was classic Catholic liturgy at its best. Celebrated in the very traditional Latin, it was understood by all. Good ritual does that no matter what the language.

Whatever one’s take on the man Karol Wojtyla, few can deny that John Paul II the Pope had a significant impact on the world in general and on the Roman Catholic Church in particular – the most significant in modern times.

It is right that he be honored in death as he was honored in life. It was not he who made himself larger than life; it was rather those who held him in high esteem who also imposed on him the image of a mythic figure larger than life. To them, he will always be known and loved as “John Paul II, the Great.”

Keeping in mind that every strength is a double edged sword with the potential for hurt as well as cure, let me share with you the qualities of Karol Wojtyla, which those who admired him will accept as his enduring legacy:

1. Karol Wojtyla was first and foremost a man of simple and uncomplicated faith. A devout man whose innocence was disarming to many, he was focused and far from naïve.

2. He was a righteous man in the fullest sense of that term. He adhered to truth as he understood it and lived ‘his’ truth without compromise. He acted courageously and did what he thought was ‘right’ under all circumstances regardless of criticism from the right or from the left. He deferred to everyone’s status inside and outside the Church but he never deferred to what he considered error or falsehood. What some perceived as stubbornness, he upheld as tenacity.

3. Karol Wojtyla, priest of God was clearly of the old school. He identified with what he believed to be the primary sacrificial nature of Christ’s priesthood. His emphasis on suffering, which to many seemed oppressive, was for him a saving mystery. It was the core of his spirituality. Though many Christians have moved far beyond the notion of redemption as limited to atonement for sin, he believed with all his heart that he must be united in his suffering to the suffering and death of Christ for the salvation of the world.

4. Karol Wojtyla as Archbishop of Cracow and ultimately Bishop of Rome and Pope of the Universal Church viewed himself as a pastor. He did not view his interventions into political affairs a matter of politics but an exercise of pastoral and social responsibility. As he found his personal identity in Christ the priest, so he found his identity as Pope in Christ the shepherd. More than this, he viewed the Church through the lens of that ancient and very traditional metaphor, ‘sponsa Christi,’ the Spouse of Christ.

5. He was a dignified man and treated everyone with equal dignity be they prince or pauper. He did not distinguish between the noble or ignoble as far as human status was concerned. Risking the criticism of statespersons of whatever rank, he reached out to kings and presidents, premiers and princes without discrimination and was unafraid to speak his mind in the interest of world justice and peace on or off camera, in Havanna or in DC.

6. He was a nonviolent man, a true pacifist in mind and heart. When it came to taking up of arms, he exempted no one: American, Israeli, Palestinian, Cuban, Nicaraguan, Russians or Iraqi. No to arms; No to war; No to violence of any kind.

7. John Paul II was a man for life – from the womb to the tomb. He accepted no justification for taking life, anyone’s life, into our own hands whatever the case or cause including capital punishment. He believed human life begins on earth at the first moment of conception and ends only with the last breath and the last beat of the heart at death. He was consistent in this regard, a veritable human force not to be reckoned with on any life issue.

8. His charisma were many but the most memorable are those which endeared him to the young. He possessed a mystique of which very few eighty-four year old men can boast. He attracted admiration bordering on adulation by teens and young adults around the globe. “John Paul Two, we love you!” Even as his human frame weakened they shouted it from the housetops — literally. What did they see in this increasingly frail human being? Some have suggested that he was revered as a surrogate father. I think they saw something of the Christ to whom he was so committed.

These are some of the qualities that millions of any and every persuasion saw in John Paul II. I believe these are the qualities that endeared him to the hearts of young and old whether or not we differed with him on one or many of the tenets for which he lived and to which he remained faithful unto death.

The Media

Risking hype and hysteria, the media covered this story with exceptional care despite the increasing number of viewers who felt that coverage passed the saturation point. As harsh as Church officials were in their criticism of the media blitz during the sex scandal, they took full advantage of any and every overture from the media sending their best and, I might add, their worst spokespersons to mike and camera.

But this was more than a media event. As with the sex scandal, the media didn’t write this story; they were messengers and they delivered the message with dignity and clarity. It was not all hype; it was history in the making and will remain vivid not only on tape but in the hearts of billions who, thanks to technology, were able to be ‘present’ for this memorable event.

Although it is much too soon to expand on the legacy of the papacy of John Paul II, the early lessons from his life and legacy will be unpacked over the next few weeks, months and years as the memories of this unusual personage fade – “Sic transit gloria mundi,” Thus passes the glories of this world!” Indeed.

Expect a surge in vocations to priesthood over the next few months. The idealism of young men will move them to say ‘yes’ – ‘ad sum’ to an inner call to give themselves wholly and entirely to God in the priesthood. Celibacy is not an obstacle to such idealism. On the contrary, it is a challenge that generous men accept willingly and gladly. The reality sets in later – much later when a man becomes more aware that his other self has been suppressed only to erupt in the healthy desire for human intimacy that can be fulfilled for most within a covenanted relationship with a partner who shares a common idealism in faith, in hope and in love.

Expect some of those who join the priestly ranks today to discover yet a second vocation in marriage in the future. Celibacy is a charism—a gift given to few, both single men and women, not necessarily identified with or demanded by ordained ministry. Married priests have existed in the Roman Catholic Eastern Traidtion for centuries and now in the West by exception only in the case of non-Catholic married priests or ministers who convert to Catholicism.

Expect the recruitment of ‘extern’ priests from other countries who will make up for the lack of vocations in the United States and expect a surge in conservatism among priests from within and from without. Priests from third world countries tend to be formed according to the mind and heart of the pope or the bishop not necessarily according to the mind and heart of Christ.

Those who work with victims of sexual abuse also anticipate a second wave of victims of sexual abuse, both men and women, who will continue to surface years after incidents of abuse. Though preparation for celibacy has been intensified, sexual development requires more than a course in asceticism.

Expect as well, a surge in the number of catechumens and candidates for full communion with the Church, a percentage of which will be women and men in second marriages. The latter will be informed in time that their previous marriage will need to be submitted to a Church court for evaluation and judgment as to its validity. The annulment process is a long and complicated procedure with no guarantee of an affirmative response, in which case, they must either separate or live together as brother and sister.

Quantum Theology, A Quantum Leap – The Medium Is Not Always the Message

John Paul II was the best of an age that is rapidly passing. Indeed, there are some among us who would hold that the age of John Paul II has long since passed.

This is neither a touch of nostalgia for the past or a warning of danger for the future. It is rather an acknowledgment of the strong tradition on which the Church has rested for centuries but a confession that tradition that has never been stagnant. We are a Church of tradition but we are not a traditionalist church. Just as the strength of John Paul’s convictions defined the Church, some would hold that these same convictions also confined the Church and limited its engagement with the world to its detriment. Nevertheless, despite the strength of his convictions, the People of God have continued to expand their understanding beyond the limitations of what John Paul considered traditional.

Whenever John Paul II spoke, people listened but not everyone heard him in the same way and surely not everyone assigned the same meaning to his messages. It is the nature of the human discourse that the medium is not always the message. As with the divinely inspired scriptures, there is an underlying hermeneutic that transcends the spoken word despite the intention of the speaker or author.

This should not seem strange. It has happened to me as I’m sure it has to many preachers and teachers that congregants or students on their way out of Mass or class have remarked: “Thank you for that message. I really needed to hear your comment about…. “ after which they quoted what I didn’t say! Sometimes I’m flattered. However, on other occasions I have graciously accepted a reprimand for something I did not say. Of course this is as true of the written word as it is of the spoken word. Even John Paul’s many encyclicals remain open to a variety of interpretations. It is for this reason that the Vatican has on occasion issued ‘official’ clarifications interpreting ‘the mind of the Holy Father.’ Nevertheless, even the Vatican cannot prevent the Holy Spirit from ‘her’ influence on the Church and its voice in the human heart.

This phenomenon occurs at worship on a regular basis. Traditional folks relate to traditional strains within our ancient Roman liturgy while not-so-traditional folks relate to new thoughts and insights triggered by the ancient rites and rituals. Ideally, no one comes away indifferent to the living Word of God and all of us experience at least some sense of unity at the Eucharist table whatever our differences or estrangements in the ‘world.’

Reality or Naïvete?

It was an awesome sight and an awesome sign when, in the midst of such a diversity of purpose or opinion, at the ‘exchange of peace’ in the Communion Rite everyone extended a hand and I hope their heart to one another as a gesture of unity, if not already achieved at least ‘in pectore’ – a yearning for unity and peace at heart.

Nevertheless, we would be naïve to assume that everyone left the ‘table’ having been ‘converted’ to Catholicism or to Christianity. At most we might hope that many left the table with a renewed heart and a firm intention, whatever their religious conviction or political persuasion, to make our world a safer place for all.

I also believe that the power of the Eucharist is such that even those who do not completely understand its mysterious workings have in someway become conscious that we are all bread blessed and broken for humanity and that there is enough bread to go around for the homeless and hungry everywhere. To that extent, I hope no one left the table empty-handed or hollow-hearted.

That having been stated, most will return to their own tables and pick up where they left off. This will be true of believers and non-believers, of those within the Catholic fold as well those outside the fold. It will also be true of us as we left the TV.

The Evolution of Belief and the Development of Doctrine and Discipline, Quantum Theology – Part II

In truth, the theological debates will resume, as they must. The documents of Vatican II, the full import and implications of which remain to be unpacked will continue to foment discussion inside and outside the Church at many layers and on many levels. Though he attempted to do so, John Paul could not prevent discussion on vital issues rooted in human experience affecting the tradition of the Church. It is not likely that his successor will be any more successful.

Would it be too soon to speculate that the passage of this extraordinary figure into history signals both the end of one era and the beginning of a new? I’m hopeful but not optimistic.

Hope is one of the three theological virtues. Optimism is an attitude of mind and heart based on human nature and its ability to rise above its flaws on its own power. I am hopeful because I do not believe God will abandon the Church. I am not optimistic because I believe that Church leadership has not always liatened to the voice of the Holy Spirit. This is evident from the history of the Church, e.g., the Crusades, the condemnation of Galileo, the marriage of the papacy with the Holy Roman Empire, Pius IX and his Syllabus of Errors, Pius X and his condemnation of Modernism, John Paul and his failure to acknowledge in full measure the sex scandal responsibility for which U.S. bishops continue to escape, to name only a few.

Church Tradition

Church tradition is one aspect of the Church life. The institution through which the tradition is lived and passed on is quite another and is fraught with the temptation to adapt to the world in such a way as it adopts its will to power or to dominate. Remnants of feudalism remain rampant at many levels of Church life.

In recent years John Paul II came close to imposing ‘home rule’ as it were on Catholic politicians by insisting that even within a pluralistic government, they are morally bound to impose Catholic doctrine on believers and non-believers alike. It was rightly called “putting the squeeze on politicians” to conform to Catholic belief.

It is one thing to defend the right of any religious leader or for an atheist for that matter to speak to values which they hold dear and quite another to insist that those values be imposed on everyone under penalty of law and punishment for its infraction.

In Poland, Karol Wojtyla empowered the people to a non-violent revolution of their government but it was the people who took responsibility for the revolution rather than the will of the Pope. Though some viewed him as a shrewd politician, I believe he carefully and incisively honored the boundary between religion and politics buy the United States is not Poland.

Within the global Catholic fold, there remain vital issues that remain to be addressed precisely because they have not been fully discussed.

Conscience

I suggest the most basic and therefore the most foundational issue for discussion is freedom of conscience. As often as John Paul II was an outspoken advocate of the freedom of conscience in the public forum, he remained intransigent not only regarding the responsibility of Catholics to form their own consciences according to the teaching of the Church but also the obligation to consent to, and act always and everywhere without exception in accord with Church teaching.

There is a logic to this position, to be sure but it is one thing to impose consent under penalty of sanction and quite another to gain acceptance or win consent through persuasion. Data based decisions are always more effective than power-based decisions. American bishops have yet to learn this lesson.

The Church has always insisted that a “rightly formed conscience” is the ultimate norm of morality for any person of integrity. Nevertheless, Catholic theologians and moralists still rightly debate that which constitutes a “rightly formed conscience”.

Clericalism

Clericalism is a close companion to conscience because the conscience of the Church has been dominated by clericalism. Lay involvement in the discussion of doctrine and discipline is essential to the growth of the Church in the understanding of itself and in the application of its teachings to life experience.

Conscience is indeed the foundational issue on which other issues of great importance such as artificial birth control, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, and end of life issues to name only a few remain to be discussed.

But there are other significant issues and concerns of a practical nature affecting individuals, families and entire societies that remain to be addressed in the light of our global faith tradition among them, the re-visioning and revising of the liturgical rites through adaptation to non European and North American cultures; the discipline on mandatory celibacy for priests in the Western Church, the role of women in ministry, the administration of the sacraments in extraordinary situations, e.g., general absolution, anointing of the sick, etc.

John Paul II returned the Church to a medieval monarchy through re-centralization rather than promote its movement toward a hierarchical communion through de-centralization, respect for the principle of subsidiarity and the promotion of collaboration.

It is under this title that John Paul lowered the bar. Dropping the ball on the sexual abuse issue, he failed to comprehend the magnitude of damage resulting from the criminal behavior of predator priests who invaded not only the privacy of young children and teens in their most vulnerable years but destroyed the trust of Catholics across the nation. Despite the assurances of bishops that their responsibilities have been fulfilled, most victims have yet to come forward.

The appointment of Cardinal Bernard Law to a position of honor at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome and his designation as the presider at a special Mass in honor of John Paul II is a scandal equal to his dereliction of duty while Cardinal Archbishop of Boston.

There is an ‘elephant in the circle of clericalism that has yet to be named. The elephant is a well-guarded secret but which continues to send ripples through the clerical system.

‘Communio’

The Church began as a ‘communio.’ It was from its communal roots that some form and ‘order’ grew but it was from its association with the Roman Empire that led to the rigid distinction of rules and ranks among the People of God. As impressive as the colorful pageantry of clergy and prelates at the funeral may have been to many, it was yet another powerful indicator of the male dominance that continues to diminish the power of the Holy Spirit within the Church.

Hope v Optimism

As cardinals gather in conclave, I hope that they will elect a man who will unseal the windows that Pope John XXIII so courageously opened to the west and to the east; to the north and to the south and restore aggiornamento to its rightful place within the Church. I hope that they will bring to the papacy a new ‘servus servorum dei’ – a servant of the servants of God, who will engage the world in dialogue not to the advantage of materialism but to bring to light the beauty that rests in the hearts of sincere people striving to be all of what God has called us to be.

I hope that they will call forth a Pope with a human heart and the charisma of John Paul II but a Pope who with the mind and heart of John XXIII will not fear the prophets of doom who continue to deny the wonder of God in all of creation.

Though I may not be optimistic about the institution, I am hopeful that Catholics will remain faithful to the rich heritage that remains within our Church and celebrate it without embarrassment.

I am hopeful that Catholics will continue to take responsibility for the preaching of the Gospel for the passing on the faith to our children with enthusiasm.

I am hopeful that Catholics will not abandon the Eucharist table and will continue to keep our tables connected – the Eucharist table at church, our family table at home and the table of humanity throughout the world.

I am hopeful that Catholics will not remain passive spectators as the Church progresses toward the next millennium but will let their voices be heard in the sanctuary as well as in the marketplace.

I am hopeful that Catholics will challenge our leaders to honor the ancient ‘sensus fidelium’ and heed the voice of the Spirit speaking within the hearts of the faithful.

I am hopeful that Catholics will remain hopeful and allow the voices of divergent views to be heard and respected. No one person has a franchise on the fullness of truth that comes from the heart of God.

I am hopeful but not optimistic but convinced that whoever becomes the next Pope, the Church will never be the same again. Hope is born of the Spirit; optimism is born of the human heart. Hope is essential. Optimism is a gift.

I join with Catholics the world over in a prayer for those who will elect the successor of John Paul II:

O God,
You are the Eternal Shepherd.
You protect and guide your Church from age to age.

Pour out the gift of the Holy Spirit upon your people
and fill those entrusted with the election of a new Pope
with the wisdom and understanding to know your will.

In your kindness, grant your Church a shepherd
who will walk in your ways and be an example of goodness
so that your people may come to know and live more fully
the gospel of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.

Amen!

Father Lasch

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