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April 2, 2006Remembering John Paul II***This post will be updated with new links and stories as I find them, keep scrolling down***
A year after the death of John Paul II and the elevation of Benedict XVI, the always terrific John Allen has an intelligent and well-written look at the last year. It’s long, it’s great, it covers a lot. One to print out and read with your Sunday cawfee. But I’ll give you this little teaser: John Paul II will likely be remembered in history as a great evangelist. He took his show on the road, dramatically expanding the visibility and relevance of the papacy, awakening a much stronger sense among Catholics of the need to bring their faith convictions to their public and professional responsibilities. He was a pope who moved history as few have. His texts, however, could sometimes be a bit wooden and hard to follow, laden as they sometimes were with the vocabulary of philosophical personalism. Benedict, on the other hand, is shaping up as a great teacher. It has struck many observers in Rome that he is still drawing larger-than-usual crowds for his Wednesday General Audience and for the Sunday Angelus address. Speaking afterwards with the people who show up, it’s striking how often they give some version of the following reaction: “I can understand him.” Benedict has a remarkable capacity to express complex theological ideas with clarity and simplicity. To take just one example, during a meeting with Roman youth making their First Communion, a young man asked the pope how it’s possible that Jesus is present in the bread and wine at the Mass, since he’s not visible. Benedict responded that it’s like electricity: we don’t see the electricity directly, but we see the light. Similarly, we see Jesus in the effects he produces in us through communion, in the new “light” he brings into our lives. It was an answer an eight-year-old could understand. To some extent, this contrast reflects the biographies of the two men. Had Karol Wojtyla not been a pope, he would have been an actor; if Joseph Ratzinger had not been a pope, he would have been a university professor. I like this piece, too, by James Martin on the “saintliness” of JPII - it’s very good, so do go read it, although you may - like me - be a little weary of reading that the pope “…failed to make some women (not to mention many gays and lesbians) feel welcome in the church;” I think if you read JP’s actual writings on the Genius of the Feminine, and the dignity and humanity of gay men and women, you’d be hard-pressed to find a pope who reached out to them, and others, more than JPII. Let’s face it, some women and some gays would never have “felt welcomed” by JPII (or any other pope) without said pope consenting to out-and-out dismantle some serious scaffolding within the church. I’m a little weary of having these things enumerated as only papal failings and not the failings of people who could not recieve what they were offered with some grace. But I digress… Pilgrims gather to mark the first anniversary of his death. Amy Welborn says CNN has a terrific special on JPII, headed by the dependably great Delia Gallagher, who we like much more than Katie Couric for the CBS Evening News gig. Writes Amy: Indeed. If you feel like looking at pictures, there is a nice hi-res photo gallery here. And this is a really nice video retrospective of John Paul’s visits to the United States A great photo-essay of reaction to his death. If you’re up to it, this was me liveblogging the long watch before his death, and what I told Buster. Note on the liveblogging piece - it’s been a year, some of the links might not work. Peggy Noonan’s singularly exceptional - definitive - memory of meeting JPII. A non-catholic wondered about the funeral, and if it was “idolatry”. Looking back over the year: Someone bred a rose for the JPII. Two TV films were made The AP suggests Benedict may not be a Rottweiler, after all. And The Nose on Your Face has a little fun with the Pope. Bernard, too, remembers the John Paul/Terri whirlwind. UPDATES: Rocco at WITL translates Benedict’s remarks. Julie has a lovely remembrance as well as some moving links. Related: JPII and Women http://theanchoressonline.com/2006/04/02/remembering-jpii/trackback/ 12 Responses to “Remembering John Paul II” |
April 2nd, 2006 at 4:40 am
As you know, Dear Anchoress, I am not a Catholic. I’ve paid attention to Popes in the past when they died and that was about it for me.
JPII was different, as is Benedict XVI. I have paid attention to them more than any other Pope I remember and I can remember back to Pius XII.
In both these men who have been given such a heavy burden I see love in their faces and an optimism very seldom seen in the faces of people their age. If they were dressed in street clothes and I had been in a coma for the last 30 years and awakened, I would know by looking at their faces that they are dedicated to God and to the people they serve. They have faces of compassion and one doesn’t affect that look. You either have the real thing or you don’t.
Unfortunately, they are mortal, and as mortals they must leave us but the joy they have for their reward in Heaven is something we should not deny them. One day we will share in that joy.
God bless you, my friend.
April 2nd, 2006 at 9:16 am
John Paul II Mourned One Year Later
Pilgrims are marking the first anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s death by praying at his tomb and p
April 2nd, 2006 at 10:36 am
Retro-Nose: Joseph Ratzinger/Lute Olsen Named New Pope
The historic selection on Tuesday of the new pope of the Roman Catholic Church was temporarily obscured by widespread disagreement as to the pontiff’s true identity. Three highly respected bloggers, had conflicting reports on the subject. Liberal Larr…
April 2nd, 2006 at 11:18 am
[...] The Anchoress [...]
April 2nd, 2006 at 8:07 pm
One Year Later
Hard to believe it’s been a year since Pope John Paul II died. Even harder to believe that I really don’t have anything much to say about it, or any particularly fond memories to share. I think this is because…
April 3rd, 2006 at 12:41 am
[...] Allegra at The Anchoress has a marvellous blog roundup that can be read here. A.M. Mora y Leon @ 10:19 pm | [...]
April 3rd, 2006 at 8:22 am
[...] The Anchoress is remembering Pope John Paul II on the first anniversary of his death. A terrific roundup of posts on the legacy of John Paul II and remarkable papacy of Pope Benedic XVI (who intervened in the release of the Afghan Christian convert Abdul Rahman). Highly recommended. [...]
April 3rd, 2006 at 10:09 am
[...] Pope Benedict is celbrating the first anniversary of his papacy. The Anchoress links to this NCR piece by John Allen. Interesting. In the homily for his installation Mass on April 24, Benedict said: “My real program of governance is not to do my own will, not to pursue my own ideas, but to listen, together with the whole church, to the word and the will of the Lord, to be guided by him, so that he himself will lead the church at this hour of our history.” [...]
April 3rd, 2006 at 5:48 pm
And here’s my contribution, since I can’t figure out how to get WP Trackbacks to work with Haloscan!
http://marchhareshouse.blogspot.com/2006/04/serendipity-or-another-clue-by-four.html
I can’t believe it’s been a year!
April 8th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
[...] REMEMBERING John Paul II; John Allen on Benedict’s First Year …. (anchoressonline, merecomments) [...]
September 13th, 2007 at 7:03 am
[...] on the topic with links to last year’s events and commentary. Lots of great links over at The Anchoress as well. And Father Shane Tharp has posted a Prayer for the Canonization of John Paul the Great. [...]
January 3rd, 2008 at 7:06 pm
[...] can’t be said enough that John Allen is a terrific writer who knows his stuff. Can anyone forget his mesmerizing reports on the final illness, death and [...]