The Vatican in Rome today staged a lavish ceremony moving the late Pope John Paul II closer to sainthood, a process known as beatification and the last step before his canonization.
Elected pope in 1978, this very popular man is credited with an intercession to God on behalf of Marie Simon-Pierre Normand, a French nun who was suffering from Parkinson's disease. The Pope himself died of Parkinson’s in 2005 and the nun’s inexplicable cure is the basis for today’s ritual. The Vatican must now certify one more miracle before he can be made a saint.
During his 26 year reign Pope John Paul was blessed with the unprecedented opportunity to leverage his moral authority against the deepest religious scandal the world has ever known, by exposing and denouncing the sexual wrongdoings of his clergy. But critics say that’s not how his leadership worked.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP – issued a statement on Friday condemning the beatification and reminding the world of a pious man’s political choices that turned a blind eye to obscure rather than apology that helped to heal. His sincere mea culpa that discarded protective business as usual would have been the miracle worthy of sainthood, if you ask me.
The masses will hold their faith today and the victims can hold their children and their tongues while Roman Catholics the world over will hold their rosaries and pray. But as Pope John Paul approaches sainthood in spite of his historic concealment, history teaches that none of us should really hold our breath.
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