SNAP of Tennessee

by Mike Wegs

04/07/05

The legacy of the John Paul II is multifaceted, marked by personal triumph and tragedy on the public stage as well as in the sanctuary of the Church he led.

One cannot deny his monumental presence in the lives of Roman Catholics worldwide.  Equally impressive has been his profound influence in all spheres secular:  academic, cultural, scientific, psychological, emotional, political, legal, social, medical, social, educational, and
military, among others.

The charisma of John Paul II was recognized immediately.  His youth marked the intention of the Church to lead Roman Catholics into the Third Millennium.  His education and background defined his view of the modern world.  His philosophical and theological beliefs framed the values that were the bedrock of his leadership role.

A singular moment in his papacy was the assassination attempt and John Paul's personal belief that he had fulfilled the prophecies of a sacred origin known to Catholics as Our Lady of Fatima.  Ever the model of compassion and forgiveness, the Pontiff met with the man who fired the bullet into his body and admonished the world about the importance of penance, forgiveness, and redemption in a just society where we should be able to expect safety and protection from those who would put us at risk.

The care of children and vulnerable adults, in particular, were the special passion of this Pope.  His emphasis on winning the trust of young people the cardinal rule of his administration and remained the focus of his travels across the globe.  He valued children and young people above all else, because of his belief that the future of the faithful and the trust of nations lay in the hearts and minds of our youth.

But John Paul's belief in young people and future of our society suffered extreme damage, nearly beyond repair, as he led his Church into the Third Millennium.  For many, his regime will be marked forever by the scandal of the sexual molestation of children and vulnerable adults by clergyman and nuns on an international scale.

In the United States the scandal has been grave.  In Austria, Ireland, Great Britain, Australia, and other nations the scope of sexual molestation has been pandemic.

The fact that senior U.S. churchman have led the cover-up of this scandal has shaken the trust of the American laity.  The leaders of this campaign are: Bernard Cardinal Law of Boston, Roger Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angels, John Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia, Francis Cardinal George of Chicago,
Adam Cardinal Maida of Detroit, Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Edward Cardinal Egan of New York, William Cardinal Keeler of Baltimore, Anthony J. Bevilacqua of Philadelphia (retired), H.E. William Cardinal Baum of Wasington (retired) Edmund Cardinal Szoka of Detroit(retired) Cardinal James Francis Stafford of Denver (retired), and the American theologian Cardinal Avery Dulles.

Cardinal Rigali, as the archbishop of St. Louis, turned his diocese into a dumping ground for pedophile priests.  Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minneapolis, MN, as the chairman of Ad Hoc Committee for the Protection of the Children and Young People, has failed to enforce the Pontiff's directive.  Other members of the hierarchy such as Bishop Raymond J. Boland of Kansas City, Mo., and Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Neb., have virulently opposed the measures outlined in the Charter for the
Protection of Children and Young People.

In the spring of 2002, John Paul II told American church leaders that there was "no place in the priesthood for those who would harm the young."  In expressing his solidarity with victims and their families, the Pope went on to say that abuse is "rightly considered a crime by society; it is also an appalling sin in the eyes of God."

The greatest legacy of this man that the American Church can protect are these sentiments, with the view that they will become an enduring part of his memory, along with his many other notable achievements.  Bishops across the world would do well to honor Pope John Paul's life by obeying his most cherished principle - the culture of life - in dealing with sex crimes by members of the clergy.  His successor can do no less that fight harder to protect children and vulnerable adults from sexual predators and address, in a forthright and assertive manner, the harm that the innocent continue to suffer within the Catholic   community, which we believe is the Body of Christ.