Used to be that to become a saint, you needed to do something pretty spectacular, like emit sweet smells after you die (St. Theresa of Avila) or appear in two places at once (Padre Pio–and no, it wasn’t to go to competing parties). Nowadays, keeping pedophiles in the Church and throwing gays and lesbians out seems to suffice. Just ask Pope John Paul II.
On Sunday, the Vatican—where the finest minds of the 12th century reside—beatified Pope John Paul II, bringing him one step closer to sainthood. For an organization which usually measures speed in centuries, the move is warp-fast and required a waiver to skip the usual five-year waiting period after death. The Church cited John Paul II’s humanity. And to give him credit his emphasis on personhood instead of materialism and his willingness to embrace his own physical decline are great qualities.
Sure, JP2’s a swell guy. Let’s go ahead and Saint him! Why not! They Sainted Christopher, and he had the head of a dog. Or perhaps he was a dog with the body of a man. Anyway, the more the merrier.
But wait. Let’s take a look at what John Paul II had to say about the gays: “Even when the practice of homosexuality may seriously threaten the lives and well-being of a large number of people, its advocates remain undeterred and refuse to consider the magnitude of the risks involved.” Or this description: “[Gay marriage is] perhaps part of a new ideology of evil, perhaps more insidious and hidden, which attempts to pit human rights against the family and against man.” Hmmm… John Paul II’s take on gay marriage it sound an awful lot like the consequences of the Vatican covering up pedophilia in its ranks.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Of course, even if the Church gets around to changing its opinion on gay rights in the coming millenia, JP II will be unaffected. Sainthood isn’t a driver’s license: it can’t be revoked.
Photo credit: José Cruz/Abr; Agência Brasil
Nuno Bandeira
A cheap gratuitous attack on the catholic church without any consideration of the former Pope’s overall achievements and personal qualities. And of course it’s always nice to take for granted that there should be no gay catholics in existence. In fact why assume gays should have faith at all ? Gays should be card carrying atheists, right ?
Countervail
Your file attribution is wrong. You need to credit the agent who uploaded the image, not “Wikipedia” which doesn’t own any of image content on their site.
The correct attribute is “José Cruz/Abr; Agência Brasil”
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/File:John_Paul_II_Brazil_1997_3.jpg#globalusage
Now that you have new owners, supposedly authentic journalists, let’s try to get this right.
EdWoody
@Nuno Bandeira: You conveniently neglect to point out where anything Queerty said in this piece was actually wrong.
Countervail
Thanks. I don’t mean to be a dick but I’ve had contentious communications with the previously Queerty staff about reusing copywritten images without permission. I really appreciate you seeing to it so quickly.
Nathan
@Nuno Bandeira: It’s true, no self respecting gay would be Catholic. Being a gay Catholic is like being a black donor to the Ku Klux Klan. Gays shouldn’t necessarily be atheists, but you’d think they’d have the dignity to at least find a church that doesn’t call them an abomination.
t
I was happy that Queerty came back. But after this article that is mean-spirited for no reason, I will never read Queerty again. How very sad that John Gallagher and Queerty have no respect for the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Just like some people have no respect for homosexuals.
Miss Understood
@t: Why should we respect an organization which harbors pedophiles?
Why should we respect an organization which spreads hate and lies and politically lobbies against our rights?
Why should we respect an organization which withholds information about condoms as people die in Africa.
The entire organization is guilty of countless crimes and indignities. Sorry if you were raised with their dogma drummed into your head. I guess it’s a form of Stockholm Syndrome.
GayGOP
As someone raised Catholic (though I went Episcopalian because the Catholic Church claims absolute power over the world) I have to say, I did not oppose the canonization of John Paul II until I started looking at his record as a Pope. I feel bad for Pope Benedict XVI, because he has had to spend all of his time clearing up the mess left by John Paul II.
When push came to shove, John Paul II protected his friends, and did nothing to help the poor, innocent children ruined by bad priests. One need only look as far as the case of Marcial Maciel Degollado, the founder of the Legionnaires of Christ. Once Benedict took office, he publicly dealt with Degollado, who molested children, sending him into exile, and stripping him of all his power. John Paul II never met a camera he didn’t like, putting his face on all sort of cheap consumer products, making visits hither and yon, but when it came to protecting the children from some of his priests, he refused to do anything. To me, that outweighs his making Catholicism cool again.
In other words, I have to agree with the op and some of the commentators. This man is no saint, and far worse than many of the gays he mercilessly persecuted.
Furthermore, there are even questions about the alleged miracle he performed. In comparison to the last Pope made a saint, Pius X, there was no miracle.