Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Lux
I respect the man and his efforts, I'm sad he passed away suffering so much, but I don't respect at all what he represented, a conservative power unable to see the real problems of the world. I hope the next pope will be somebody from Africa or South America, they probably know a little better what church and religion should be for followers and talk about to governments nowadays instead of only trying to please the audience with glorious celebrations and redundant appeals to the young.
|
I agree about the conservative power thing, but I do not agree on the latter part of your post. Honestly, I think it comes just from misinformation, and it isn't your fault. Similarly, I think Beserker's ending lines in his post come from misinformation.
This pope was conservative in many ways, mainly in sexual-related problems, and that's where I could not agree with him. But that's also where what you said about him "trying to please the audience" is completely meaningless - speaking to young people about sex in a conservative way, like he did, wasn't exactly some done to appeal the audience. When he said "live following Jesus' teachings" he never meant this was an easy path, but he always mentioned it was a path of sacrifice. He always said just what he thought was right, never to please his audience.
When you speak about his lack of force against governments you are completely wrong. Actually, according to everyone, also to those who didn't like this pope, he was one of the fiercest opponents of the world's powerful governments of all times. At the beginning of his pontificate there was his well known activity against Communism and URSS - at the time, one of the two world superpowers - but, surprisingly, this never meant he was a supporter of the other side, U.S. invasive and pervasive capitalism. He fought strongly against Regan, Bush 1, Bush 2, and even against Clinton. He talked against all governments that he knew were not respecting human rights - and not blindly, but studying carefully each country's situation (that's why Cuba and the Vatican became closer recently - he strongly criticized Castro, but he also discovered what was really good behind the ideals of the revolution). He desperately tried to establish a dialogue with China. He fought against all the most powerful countries in the world - yes, he had little impact on U.S., but this doesn't mean he didn't try, EVERY SINGLE TIME he talked to the people during his voyages and every Sunday, when he was in Rome.
The fact he was unheard, doesn't mean he didn't fight - the fact you don't know what he really did, and that you, like millions of people in the world, believe he just spent his time talking to young people to please them, it is just another terrible proof that even the most influential people, even those who spent all their life fighting, can do nothing against those who control the flux of mass media nowadays.
He was so strong in his attacks against these countries, that he often used words and gestures bordering on diplomatic incidents.
Sadly, I realized in these days, and this was confirmed by reports from many journalists all around the world, that the major networks, from newspapers to TVs, while always happy to divulge the pope's most "peaceful" and simple speeches (like those you mentioned targeted to young people) have ALWAYS been extremely reluctant to talk about the pope's criticism against consumerism, capitalism, and first of all, against U.S. aggressive foreign politics. Since few know about what he really did during his life, let me just quote what he said before the latest shameful, disgusting war in Iraq:
"When war, like the one now in Iraq, threatens the fate of humanity, it is even more urgent for us to proclaim, with a firm and decisive voice, that only peace is the way of building a more just and caring society"
If you look back at my post pre-Iraq war, I already quoted him at that time.
It's really amazing people don't know about this. The article in this link speaks in detail about the Vatican's efforts against the war in Iraq. It seems quite detailed, and summarize what I remember I have read on the newspapers in Italy before and after the war.
link
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by beserker
…too bad that he couldn't apologise for the things happened in WO ll.
|
One of the most important things he did was exactly to apologize for Church's crimes against humanity. In particular he also apologized for all the church did against Jews. His efforts to bring Jews and Catholics closer were many, and that is why Jews loved him so much.
He was the first pope in history to apologise for ALL the dirty things the Church has done throughout the centuries, from the beginning to the end.
Maybe you mean he didn't criticize Pius XII directly; Pius XII remains actually a very controversial figure (some say he was a saint, other say he was anti-semitic!), we will see if this figure will change with the next pontificate.
Another nice, and very well written article
link