ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!
March 2005
As a christened, confirmed and churchly "white-married" Protestant, already having left in my mid-twenties the Lutheran Church because of its questionable, institutional policy, I felt that church matters were no longer my business.
However, being faced since more than two years by the extremely unfair, disrespectful and fact-twisting comments about His Holiness John Paul II and his papacy in different Australian - and UK newspapers,
I'm left angry and frustrated, wondering, why the clergy of The Vatican and the Catholic Church's worldwide community of billions of believers are not standing up against such disgusting provocation of bad gossip-journalism and questionable community behaviour! It just shouldn't be allowed, to minimize, understate or even to deny the provable achievements of the Holy Father for his Church and the rest of the world - independent of religion, culture or country. Against all odds, one is for sure:
Since twenty-seven (27) years (16.10.1978) The Catholic Church is blessed having as its head Pope John Paul II being such a beautiful, incredible humble human. In addition, he has excelled as a highly gifted and broadly educated, respectable personality with PHD and professor's appointment at university, by having taught the subject PHILOSOPHY already at the age of only 35 years.
To the same time he was faced with the double-burdening, busy life his clerical duties as a bishop has forced from him since the end of the Fifties.
No doubt, The Holy Father is a genuine witness in faith, an excellent, UNTOUCHABLE role-model, incredible in his iron self-discipline and the hero-like management of his papacy's daily duties of immense work-task younger and healthier people are unable to achieve! All the Vatican's high ranked cardinals are very well advised;
TO SUPPORT - UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES - THE POPE IN HIS WISH, FULFILLING HIS CLERICAL DUTIES TILL HIS VERY LAST BREATH or they have to be faced with the poisoning critique, being non-trustworthy but power- hungry, very worldly and therefore questionable persons not being worth, to fill in any clergy position!!!
In other words: The clerics’ Christian and human duties are, to ask for the top of the worlds' best medical advisers in supporting and strengthening The Holy Father's failing health to a better! Also, it's unethical and tasteless, but sadly one of many bad reflections of our today's messy world with its decay of traditional values, if already to The Pope's lifetime the Media's jackal-like paparazzi-pack is wondering, who will become the next pope! After all these fact-twisting comments of the last years it is essential, that people have the opportunity to develop their own precious, non-influenced mind by visiting the Vatican's informative Website at: http://www.vatican.va./holy_father/john_paul_II/. It is also essential, that the broad public knows more about the unbearable task of duties, John Paul II is permanently faced during his papacy, reflected in my following reprint of one weeks' tough task only, originally edited by J. Cornwell and described below in his own words, likewise "a week of executive activities sufficient to exhaust a man half his age": "He has met President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Mary McAleese of Ireland; chaired an international conference on depression; published a statement on cultural difference; appointed a dozen bishops; lectured members of the Polish union Solidarity; and presided over a world congress on pastoral care for migrants and refugees. On the previous day he had preached to visitors from Croatia; encouraged the contribution of Christianity in the new European constitution; met the council of the synods of bishops; beatified five candidates for sainthood; met and spoke with a delegation from Palestine; and issued a statement to the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences on GM crops and stem cells. In addition, these three days included, in theory, his absorption of a torrent of paperwork from dozens of Vatican departments that regulate the church worldwide. In theory, he maintains daily contact with all the national bishops in about 110 countries. Moreover, more than 3000 of these bishops come to Rome for regular "personal meetings" with him" and so forth. Mr. Cornwell continues: "an avid member of the curia, the Vatican bureaucracy, told me that the Pope "takes the strain of all this in a very real and personal way" which means in clear text that the above mentioned "theory" is, indeed, nothing than a daily practiced tough task of duties to be performed by The Holy Father personally.
The publishing of such confirming statements are just essential, to avoid a dangerous, false statement about The Pope's provable, immensely positive achievements during his whole clerical life and especially during the inhuman hard and burdening task his papacy is demanding! One is for sure: Not only the Catholics have a right, to be informed about John Paul’s positive achievements and the content of his incredible huge workload daily to manage, but the rest of the world too. In other words: The PR for The Vatican and its great, impressive, admirable and well loved Pope can't be reduced only to monthly published insider magazines and the occasionally publishing of Vatican's "schedules", BUT MUST BE PERMANENTLY SPREAD WORLDWIDE WITH ALL MODERN HIGH-TECH THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA IS USING!!
Human's nature is about that some people are ungraceful and forgetful and some aren't. When The Holy Father was still twenty-seven (27) years younger, healthier and a very good looking, but respectable personality with a great, infectious smile, people were cheering: "John Paul TWO We Love YOU" and the Londoner newspaper "Times" had a headline which described The Holy Father as a "SUPERSTAR"! Where are these people now? Today, nearly three decades later, The Holy Father confirms BEING LIVING HISTORY AT ITS BEST with many, provable achievements in CREATING OPPORTUNITIES for a better world he has managed successfully behind the scene in his incredible humbleness.
These positive, historical valuable achievements were done by him in his diplomatic wisdom, whereby here only a few can be mentioned, such as: A.) The fall of Communism in Russia,
B.) The strengthening of the Catholic Church in Poland,
C.) The resign of Chile's dictator Pinochet,
D.) The reconciliation of the Catholic Church with the Greek Orthodox Church,
E.) His immense efforts, to combine Christianity, Judaism and Islam in view of more understanding for each other by personal meetings with their countries' religious and political leaders,
F.) The good advice, to avoid the illegal, military invasion into Iraq by giving personal audiences to the political leaders of those countries prepared to join into that gruesome war, hoping, he can change their mind and so forth.
(It must have been for The Holy Father very disappointing that even his guest - and home countries' leaders didn't want to take his good and responsible advice contra that illegality with the effective result of a horrendous mess, future generations still have to pay for!) After all, today, His Holiness deserves much more our love and admiration than ever before, because John Paul II does not want to give up fulfilling his daily, immense workload for all peoples' welfare he sees as his duty managing properly, despite his progressed age and devastating illness!
Now, even seriously ill, The Holy Father has read, in iron self-discipline, The Mass from his hospital room for comforting his people all over the world and with this heroic act, again, he is confirming being doubtlessly THE positive role-model for all of us as an impressive, responsible witness in faith! This permanent fight of a great, unbroken spirit against age and bodily weakness does make John Paul II to a real SUPERSTAR and a hero in each way, demanding our deepest respect!
Like mentioned before, its common knowledge that peoples' mind is very influential by changing permanently into the one or other direction likewise a flag in the wind - however, in case of The Holy Father most of his people still are keeping him their loyalty what means:
In all circumstances a genetic "Alpha-Male" always has his genuine cheering, admiring auditorium, since he never, ever gives up!
Personally, I do feel very much comforted in the knowledge that each day His Holiness John Paul II is genuinely praying for all of us, because my childhood-prayers haven't matured into adulthood. Please, send this unique and great Pope all your greetings and best WELL WISHING and LOVE for comforting him in his unbearable situation, supposed being surrounded by some greedy persons waiting impatiently, to fill in his position he never should be forced to give up, if he is refusing to do so, because Parkinson disease does not affect the intellectual property but the motored system of muscles and nerves only!
Also, this illness commonly does not trigger any kind of mental illnesses, (like Mr. J. Cornwell is falsely guessing) because they do affect another system of chemicals and neurons in the brain-cells! One is for sure; the last twenty-seven (27) years during his papacy this highly gifted, honest and wise man truly believed that he has built around him a team of trustworthy top clericals. Or at least, they were supposed to be!
Therefore, they should be able in a professional manner, to ease his inhuman burdening workload to a reasonable grade. However, the question cannot be avoided: have they forgotten their loyal duties for a beautiful and rare human being? What’s about JUDAS ISCARIOT and PETER, the disciple?
Are his best "friends" really worth the words sense and content?? JOHN PAUL’S extremely tough task of his busy papacy (always excellently managed in iron self-discipline), reminds on another highly gifted academic, such as Professor Dr. Stephen Hawking battered by a rare muscle- and nerve disease, which unmovably have tied him in his wheelchair since his mid-twenties. Even not comparable with the untouchable greatness and uniqueness of JOHN PAUL’S most valuable character treats; Hawking’s qualities as an extraordinarily gifted physicist are undisputed, because based on iron self-discipline as well.
Last, but not least: Pope John Paul II is the living symbol having succeeded in the most difficult task by transforming Christian religion's positive spiritual ideology into the performing of daily’s reality demands.
Thank you so much for your friendly attention. Be blessed with good people you count on most.....
Sincerely, Ingrid at:
(Shortened version of letter’s twenty-six pages) |
