Bob Harris rocks
Apr. 7th, 2005 10:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catsidheBob Harris highlights one of the problems I have with the meshigas over Karol Józef Wojtyła (who he has become again after ceasing to be Papa Johannes Paulus II, or indeed, to be).
My thoughts? Well, since you asked so nicely...
He was a man. He said what he thought, and thought about things more deeply than most. He didn't have much else to do, it seems, as Ratzinger practically ran the place anyway. (It seems Ratzinger, head of theHoly Inquisition Office of the Doctrine of the Faith, is a lead runner for the next Papa. I'm shocked.) He was not a hypocrite, which is high praise. He said a lot of things with which I personally disagreed with, but that is no surprise, because so do most people. Not all of the things which came out in the name of The Church can be hung on him, such as the half-arsed 'apology' to Jews, witches and pagans for, well, most of the middle ages, but the Burning Times and Pogroms in particular. (Ask me about that one if you're brave enough. I've read it, insofar as it is possible to.)
The media madness, well, he was the putative leader of a billion people1, and he died, and it has been more than thirty years since the last time a pope died, and he was the first non-italian pope for ever such a long time, and ... umm, yeah. But as for newsworthyness, the news was/is: 1) He is really sick. 2) He is about to die. 3) He is dead. 4) Lots of people are lining up to see him lying in state. (Sideline on traffic restrictions and tent cities in Rome.) You are here. 5) He is buried. Lots of important people are there, and also several million Catholics. 6) Politics and shenanigans as the Cardinals jostle before they disappear in camera. 7) There is a puff of white smoke. The fun begins afresh. What we don't need is the vituperation (much of which should rightfully go to the Organisation of the Church, and Ratzinger personally, IMAO), or the hagiographies. Indeed, there have already been calls for sanctification. Good Gods, he's barely cold!
feh. One day my opinion of Humankind will find a counter-example.
In other news, it seems The Age did not find my letter juicy or controversial enough to print after all. Oh, well. At least some people saw it.
[1] To take Pterry out of context, though, while he was in theory their absolute leader, in practice when he spoke it seems most Catholics said 'what?', or argued, but at least they had to listen.
My thoughts? Well, since you asked so nicely...
He was a man. He said what he thought, and thought about things more deeply than most. He didn't have much else to do, it seems, as Ratzinger practically ran the place anyway. (It seems Ratzinger, head of the
The media madness, well, he was the putative leader of a billion people1, and he died, and it has been more than thirty years since the last time a pope died, and he was the first non-italian pope for ever such a long time, and ... umm, yeah. But as for newsworthyness, the news was/is: 1) He is really sick. 2) He is about to die. 3) He is dead. 4) Lots of people are lining up to see him lying in state. (Sideline on traffic restrictions and tent cities in Rome.) You are here. 5) He is buried. Lots of important people are there, and also several million Catholics. 6) Politics and shenanigans as the Cardinals jostle before they disappear in camera. 7) There is a puff of white smoke. The fun begins afresh. What we don't need is the vituperation (much of which should rightfully go to the Organisation of the Church, and Ratzinger personally, IMAO), or the hagiographies. Indeed, there have already been calls for sanctification. Good Gods, he's barely cold!
feh. One day my opinion of Humankind will find a counter-example.
In other news, it seems The Age did not find my letter juicy or controversial enough to print after all. Oh, well. At least some people saw it.
[1] To take Pterry out of context, though, while he was in theory their absolute leader, in practice when he spoke it seems most Catholics said 'what?', or argued, but at least they had to listen.
