DEATH OF A HERO

Pope John Paul II was a person that alternately caused me great consternation, great amusement, and sometimes, great admiration. He was, without a doubt, one of the great figures of the 20th century, as he both held the line on Catholic traditions, and instituted changes that over turned centuries of Vatican policy. Now that he has left us, I find myself wondering where the Roman Catholic Church will go without him, and whether or not we Christians will take the most positive of his messages to heart.

Two things about Pope John Paul II stand out to me. First, he was a Pope to and for Poland. He became a Catholic priest in spite of the Nazis, a Catholic leader in spite of the Soviets. He played a pivotal role in the anti-communist movement in his home nation, using it as a spring board to launch a global anti-communist campaign. A lot of us will remember him as the Polish Pope, working to free his homeland from Soviet dominance. After years of being knocked about between Germany and Russia, Poland emerged as a world leader in opposing the Soviets, and it was in large part because of John Paul II. The Pope managed to draw the attention of the world's Catholics and non-Catholics, to a nation that few people paid much regard to. In my youth, we mostly knew of Poland and the Poles as the punch line to tasteless jokes, the place from which good sausage originated, the place Hitler, then the Soviets, over ran. John Paul II made us aware of Poland as a home of heroes and leaders, and a place where Poles fought bravely on the front lines of the Cold War. Even as Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla was the hero of Poland, a man who represented the best of his people.

The other interesting thing about this Pope was that he became a leader to the whole world, in ways that no other Pope, maybe no other leader, ever has. He spoke many languages, including having learned Spanish after becoming Pope, so that he could better connect with people around the world. He was a tireless traveler until his health absolutely prevented it. The stress of all that travel had to be profound, but he seemed to feel some great urgency for seeing people, and being seen by them. He recognized and embraced Catholic leaders from all over the world and spoke to issues that concerned people from many nations, and began to move away from the Catholic Church as an Italian or European institution. Just as he was not afraid to oppose the Soviets, he was also not afraid to later oppose the United States when he felt it necessary. He was one of the few leaders of his era to consistently make a case for the poor who were marginalized by corporatism and the rise of capitalist governments. He was no bigger of a fan of capitalism than he had been of communism. While western political leaders crowed over winning the Cold War, John Paul II moved on, turning his focus from the tyranny of communism to the perils of materialism. He accused the west, the US in particular, of fostering a culture of death, challenging people to use their success to uplift the world instead of simply enriching themselves.

The Pope had one issue that seemed to consume him toward the end of his time on earth: life. Whether it was abortion, euthanasia, execution, or war, the Pope was obsessed with the right to life. He and I would have disagreed on a few points, such as rights for gays, women in the church, and birth control, but what eventually won my admiration was that John Paul II consistently opposed those things in the world that took away life. I found it ironic and sadly pandering that US President George Bush praised the Pope as a champion of life, since it was the Pope's refusal to endorse Bush's pet war in Iraq that recently impressed me so much, and it is Bush and his party, particularly his home state of Texas, that keep the US one of the world's leaders in executing our citizens. The Pope drew a very clear line: those of us who aspire to the ministry of Christ must not emulate the powers we oppose, no matter how we think practicality and politics justifies us. He argued, I think convincingly, that it didn't matter if the hand pulling the trigger was that of a criminal, a doctor, a judge and jury, or a soldier, it was still a human hand, taking human life, and that it was wrong.

The Pope did not move the Roman church as much as I would like, but he did move the church. There was a time when the church was at best silent, at worst complicit, in undermining the dignity of human life. The church had often kept silent, or opposed in weak terms, governments that were unjust. John Paul II laid a foundation for Roman Catholicism to become a progressive force in the world, one that might pursue Christ's vision of freedom and justice more fully by opposing tyranny in the name of ideology, be it political or financial. Someday, the values John Paul II set forth may help take power from the hands of the elite, who serve their own purposes, and put it in the hands of people that will pursue God's purposes. If the Cardinals choose to honor this Pope's life and work fully, they will choose a new leader who will continue to make the church an advocate for the poor and a voice for mercy and kindness. If they have courage, they will elect someone that will move to include women fully in the church, will promote tolerance (if not full acceptance) of gays and their families, and will continue to press the wealthy nations to avoid the trap of materialism and corporatism. John Paul II could not realistically have been expected to make every modernizing change himself, and he didn't. He did lay out values that are compatible with progressive and loving Christianity, and led the church onto the beginnings of a road to change.

As a dedicated Christian, though no longer a Roman Catholic, I hope that the legacy he has left us will inspire us to work together to more fully realize Christ's vision for peace and justice. The Pope's vision of focusing on life over expedience and comfort could have profound implications for the good of the world, if we ever took it seriously.

And so, on behalf of a grateful world, we say goodbye, and thank you, Karol Wojtyla, the Polish hero who was Pope John Paul II, of the Roman Catholic Church.