Re: [Goanet]Re: John Paul II
--- Fr. Ivo Da C. Souza wrote: John Paul II The news of his death has resounded throughout the globe and has moved us to tears. Though he was old and sick in the last phase of his Pontificate, John Paul II was loved by all, including the youth. We thank God for the gift of his life, of his multifaceted personality, and in a special way for his courage to speak the Truth. He has given us the kernel of Gospel values. Mario responds: Fr. Ivo. The following opinion may bother some Catholics, but I think our Church and the overall legacy of our late-Pope are both strong enough to deal with it. Please feel free to comment from your perspective: I believe Pope John Paul II will go down in history as the best pope since Pope John XXIII and, on balance, one of the best pope's ever. However, the record shows that this Pope, for all his exemplary moral courage in confronting problems world-wide and playing a major role in bringing down the Iron Curtain, was curiously slow to confront the pedophile priests in America, and was especially insensitive in the case of Cardinal Law of Boston. The Pope made Law an Archpriest at Santa Maria Maggiore, one of four Basilicas under direct Vatican jurisdiction. For Law it was a face-saving promotion from his position as a disgraced ex-Cardinal whose poor judgement played a role in destroying hundreds of young lives. Because of the Pope's decision, Archpriest Law celebrated a high-profile Mass at this popular Pope's funeral and gave one of nine eulogies that are scheduled between the funeral and the conclave, the only American to give a eulogy. This is disgraceful, and even more disgraceful for Law to not recuse himself from these highly visible ceremonies, proving once again that he continues to lack any sensitivity or moral judgement. What he has succeeded in doing is reminding everyone of the abuses, of the special privilege this Pope inexplicably bestowed on him, and rubbing salt in the wounds of all the victims. While thus providing cover for Archpriest Law, Pope John Paul II did little or nothing to address the sad plight of the 11,750 young victims of the 5,148 American priests who have been credibly accused of sexually molesting them since 1950. These figures come from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. In addition, only 700 priests have been removed from ministry while the cost to the church has been about $1 billion in legal settlements and related fees. The Pope displayed more compassion for Law than for all the victims combined. To make matters worse, Cardinal Oscar Maradiaga of Honduras, one of those supposedly on the short list as the next Pope has said that the reaction to the pedophile priest issue in the US ...amounted to persecution of the church and reminded him of the times of Diocletan and Nero and more recently, Stalin and Hitler. This kind of over-the-top paranoia reminds me of the corrupt Cardinals and Popes we had before the Reformation. Attitudes like this, from the highest levels of the Catholic Church are truly evil. God help the church if this man is elected our next Pope.
Re: [Goanet]Re: John Paul II
What about the dalitization of millions of bharats until this day? Has Nandakumar the erudite forgotten this account? People in glass houses should dress in the dark! B. Colaco Prof.Nandkumar stresses also his dialogue with different cultures and religions, --even when mistakes have been commited by the Church in the course of her history, for which the Holy Father asked pardon--, and understands the Christian perception of the Mystical Body of Christ. Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
[Goanet]Re: John Paul II
John Paul II The news of his death has resounded throughout the globe and has moved us to tears. Though he was old and sick in the last phase of his Pontificate, John Paul II was loved by all, including the youth. We thank God for the gift of his life, of his multifaceted personality, and in a special way for his courage to speak the Truth. He has given us the kernel of Gospel values. In his message of condolence, the Prime Minister of India, Dr.Manmohan Singh called him beacon of unflinching moral values. Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Saviour, the Truth, the Way, the Life. The Holy Father stood by his faith in God, in Jesus. He died with his hope in the Resurrection and New Life. He gave us courage to proclaim our faith and convictions, without forgetting that the Spirit of God is at work in the hearts of men, in all cultures, in all religions. He was a man of dialogue with the world. He worked for the families. He tried to show that there is no conflict between Religion and Science, between Faith and Reason. He tried to unite leaders of all religious groups in the struggle for one common cause, for Peace. In the era of economic and cultural globalization, John Paul II proclaimed with sound optimism globalization of solidarity.Let us pray for him! Fr.Ivo da C.Souza My View John Paul II I was delighted to read the beautiful article written by Prof. Nandkumar Kamat, John Paul II: Truly a People's Pope (NT, Monday, April 4, 2005), where he expressed his perceptions about the Pontificate of our beloved John Paul II, who has left a rich legacy to the Church of tomorrow. The experience that he had after watching the film, Shoes of the Fisherman, based on the novel of Morris West, is alive with the death of John Paul II, who has reached out to the whole world and become a catalyst in the world history. The Pope has brought out the Gospel message and its values to the socio-political arena, to everyday life, to the man in the street. Incidentally, when I heard about the novel, Shoes of Fisherman, as a student, I was eager to see a Pope of such a calibre, during my lifetime. I do congratulate him for his courage in expressing his convictions, as John Paul II was bold to speak the truth about the human dignity, about the ultimate meaning of human existence, about God and his Son, Jesus the Christ. Through his spiritual message, John Paul II stepped into the 'shoes of the fisherman'. It is through the revolution of love that Jesus faced the Pax Romana, which was based on constraint and fear, and became thereby a threat to the Roman Empire. Likewise, the Church conquered the world with the Gospel values. Conversion of heart is required for the transformation of the socio- political arena. Prof.Nandkumar emphasizes the spiritual power of John Paul II, his power of forgiving the gunman, his leadership in today's society and its socio- political ground realities, his respect for life and human rights. The Holy Father has been accepted as a voice of sanity and peace, as a voice of the voiceless, downtrodden and oppressed, though sometimes his appeal against the war was not heeded. He has planted the seeds of love and peace on different soils of several countries that he has visited, not without sacrifice and suffering. He worked for communion of communities, for globalization of solidarity. Prof.Nandkumar stresses also his dialogue with different cultures and religions, --even when mistakes have been commited by the Church in the course of her history, for which the Holy Father asked pardon--, and understands the Christian perception of the Mystical Body of Christ. It is praiseworthy the witnessing to communion and harmony by John Paul II, the people's Pope. IVO DA C.SOUZA (Rachol)
[Goanet]Re: John Paul II
--- Salus Correia goanet@goanet.org wrote: Well George, you are free like everyone else to your opinions. Thank you. Personally I think you do not know much of the Catholic faith from what you have written. I do not know much about many things. Personally I think you are being defensive and apologetic about Catholicism. But what do I know? The Church is not a club with open membership and is not a democracy either. The church is 1 billion Catholics, not Rome and the Vatican and some close-minded Europeans there who dictate to the rest of the Church. Sadly, there are millions of so called confirmed catholics who have for reasons sometimes even not known to them, turned the other way, yet remain or prefer to be known as Catholics. I wonder if one of them is an 18 year-old who was elected Pope once and died 9 years later in the middle of an adulterous sexual act. Or are you refering to the homicidal pope, the anti-popes? They were at the highest levels of the church, not commoners like me. Right from the time of Jesus the church has been run by 'direction'. The faithfull have the right to advise, suggest and talk, but we have to always remember that unlike a club or some governments, it is not a democracy. Sure, nice platitudes. I wonder where the 18 year-old pope got his 'direction'? If eventually our thoughts are not accepted for whatever reason, then in all obedience we have to accept the 'direction' that we must believe comes from God himself, through his appointed shephards. More platitudes. I do not wish to speak for God or how she communicates, but I seriously doubt it is through Rome and the Vatican alone. Sometimes we do not know or see the bigger picture as God sees it. Eventually with time it unfolds and then we realise the whats and whys. If we want to be known as followers of Jesus, then it does make sense that we follow the directions as they come. Really? Should I list some other colorful papal characters in history and see what 'directions' were revealed to them? John Paul II has done his time here on earth and it is not up to you, me or anyone else but the Father in heaven to sit in judgement. Fine, I take it that those who say favorable things about the pope are not sitting in judgement? They are not judging? Or are only critical judgements disallowed? And as far as his call for sainthood goes, just because some people or groups are making the call, does not mean that the call will be accepted. Once again we must believe that whatever happens, will be so by divine 'direction' and nothing else. The odds of his sainthood are higher since he is European and because blind followers do not question or critically evaluate things for themselves but wait for Rome and the Vatican to tell them how to think. Like I said earlier, this is my opinion, and I have no intention of forcing my views down on you or any one else. Me too! Thank you for your comments. Please post more and do not let my poor responses discourage you or Joseph Falcao from posting. Goan cyberspace needs more posters than the usual suspects. Regards, George
[Goanet]Re: John Paul II
Well George, you are free like everyone else to your opinions. Personally I think you do not know much of the Catholic faith from what you have written. The Church is not a club with open membership and is not a democracy either. One has to acknowledge Jesus as the Lord and Master of our lives to qualify for membership, which incidentally is 'confirmed' as some point in time. Sadly, there are millions of so called confirmed catholics who have for reasons sometimes even not known to them, turned the other way, yet remain or prefer to be known as Catholics. Right from the time of Jesus the church has been run by 'direction'. The faithfull have the right to advise, suggest and talk, but we have to always remember that unlike a club or some governments, it is not a democracy. If our views are not accepted, we can always negotiate via the proper channels and not via the media. If eventually our thoughts are not accepted for whatever reason, then in all obedience we have to accept the 'direction' that we must believe comes from God himself, through his appointed shephards. Sometimes we do not know or see the bigger picture as God sees it. Eventually with time it unfolds and then we realise the whats and whys. If we want to be known as followers of Jesus, then it does make sense that we follow the directions as they come. John Paul II has done his time here on earth and it is not up to you, me or anyone else but the Father in heaven to sit in judgement. And as far as his call for sainthood goes, just because some people or groups are making the call, does not mean that the call will be accepted. Once again we must believe that whatever happens, will be so by divine 'direction' and nothing else. Thousands have been touched by John Paul II and that is their way of saying 'THANK YOU' I suppose. Like I said earlier, this is my opinion, and I have no intention of forcing my views down on you or any one else.
[Goanet]RE: John Paul II
Hi Joe Thank you for giving your spin to the facts. I appreciate your comments and stand by my original comments. You are as incorrect as your subject line: St. John Paul II, he has not been canonized a saint. Regards, George Joseph Falcao Hi George: Always you bring your own spin to the facts.
