The Pope Has Died

RIP.

I wish I could muster good words at this time because a man with a great deal of influence and supporters has died. But my words are at best faint because John Paul the person seemed to promise so much while John Paul the Pope delivered so little. That was not to say he was not charismatic, passionate, and his life a portion of the last century's history. Now charisma and passion and history are valuable but not the whole ballgame. It's like fashioning a regular diet of just Jiffy peanut butter, corn, and rice. They can give you the temporary feeling of fullness while bringing you quickly to nutritional harm.

For John Paul II's outspokenness about the war, I appreciated him. I'm afraid that I found most of his tenure, however, to be a disappointment. A man so eager to lead the procession at the Church's year-long Millennium celebration should not have worked so hard to keep the Church's communicants in mental, intellectual, sexual, and educational bondage. The child abuse scandal did not start with John Paul II's reign but he did almost nothing to make it better. The church has still not addressed this properly or made any real, substantial changes that will prevent this from occurring in the future.

I do wish - and yes, I know it will not be fulfilled - that the next pope could somehow bring the Church into the 20th century (yes, I know it's the 21st). A pope who doesn't have to demand blind loyalty to the church while still encouraging people to be the best human beings they can. Perhaps even a pope enlightened enough to understand that what ultimately becomes what is best for the institution of church and its flavor or religion is not usually what's best for the people who support the church and who wish to belong.

A God who gives us a fine mind and the concept of free will DOES NOT NEED OR WANT his creations to be dumb and bound. Or hateful and eager to limit others.

A God who creates us with such a rich range of emotions and capabilities does not want us to have to forsake the unique elements that make us human or to use them against our fellow humans; instead, he (or she) expects us to learn to use and enjoy what he has given us.

May a new Pope somehow cast off the weight of the old structure and fill a crumbling foundation with real mortar and support. This will take a very courageous man (since they don't let us girls play) and unfortunately, our world does not usually let the best and most courageous make it to the top of the various food chains.