Protests mount over fast track for John Paul's beatification..WHY THE RUSH?

[moobu2]

A growing lobby of churchmen and religious experts are challenging the speed with which the Vatican is propelling Pope John Paul II towards sainthood, just six years after his death.

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The Vatican is erecting tent cities and stocking up with millions of bottles of water. More than 300,000 people are expected to descend on Rome to honour the Polish pontiff whose charisma gave Catholicism a new lease of life.
But as the crowds begin to arrive, doubts are being expressed over the decision to begin beatification proceedings for John Paul immediately after his death in 2005, instead of observing the usual five-year waiting period.
Some experts are questioning whether John Paul is fit for sainthood at all, pointing to his poor record in handling the sex abuse allegations against priests that came to the fore during his 26-year papacy. "I oppose this beatification and predict history will look unkindly on John Paul, who was in denial as the worst crisis since the Reformation happened in the church," said Father Richard McBrien, a theology professor at Notre Dame University in the US.

"My doubts are about John Paul being beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict," said the Catholic historian Michael Walsh. "It appears incestuous and akin to the habit of deifying one's ancestors."

Even as Benedict faced the fallout from accusations that scores of priests abused children around the world, he has pulled out the stops to beatify John Paul. Sorting through hundreds of miraculous cures attributed to the pontiff, Vatican officials have selected the overnight recovery from Parkinson's disease of a French nun as the miracle required for beatification. Experts believe canonisation could follow in two to three years.

The ramifications of the sex abuse scandal will continue as an internal Vatican report on predator priests in Ireland reportedly lands on Benedict's desk, ahead of the publication next month of an Irish government report on the scandal. It is expected that the report will shed light on whether the abuse was ignored by Bishop John Magee of Cloyne, a former private secretary to John Paul.

John Paul's unwavering support for Marcial Maciel Degollado, the Mexican priest and morphine addict who ran the powerful Legion of Christ movement, has also sparked concerns. Maciel has been accused of abusing seminarians, fathering up to six children and allegedly pacifying the Vatican through large donations, despite complaints about his behaviour dating back to the 1970s.


Wonder what the rush to sainthood is? Whatever the reason is, there's always some political motivation behind making saints.

[jody]

1. Why is this an issue to anyone other than Roman Catholics? n/t

[sudopod]

2. Why not? nt

[jody]

5. My question was first. n/t

[sudopod]

7. OK

There are over a billion Catholics, whose beliefs impact their neighbors in various intimate ways. Many of those beliefs are formed and shepharded by their spiritual leaders, whose sense and intentions are illuminated by who they aim to declare "Saints of God."

Why not?

[jody]

10. Agree but there are nearly 6 billion non-Roman Catholics whose beliefs impact catholics. n/t

[sudopod]

11. And Catholics have every right to keep abreast of and comment upon their actions and beliefs.

What beautiful symmetry!

[jody]

12. IMO there are many unresolved economic & social issues. Rule 1, don't sweat the small stuff.

Rule 2, it's all small stuff particularly how fast a dead person is declared a saint.

[trotsky]

23. Do any of them belong to churches that enjoy diplomatic status? n/t

[Trajan]

4. Catholics have been promoting this nonsense for centuries ...

Even when they ruled the world and punished apostates ...

It is an issue to me - an EX Catholic ...

[jody]

6. If you are an EX Catholic, why do you care? n/t

[Trajan]

15. Does expectation of honesty and truth mean anything to you ?

I know the history of beatification .... I know of the nonsense that surrounds the practice, and I utterly and completely object to it ...

I care about honesty .... Dont you ?

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. All those quoted in the article seem to be Catholics

Your question assumes it is an issue to non-Catholics. Perhaps it isn't.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

22. The poster I'm responding to is ignoring me. Somebody please tell him...

...we'll talk abou whatever we damn well please, and if he doesn't like it, tough.

[Buzz Clik]

3. The Pope has his 3 goggles on. Awesome.

Was he an NBA fan? Did he start the trend?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. They're closing heaven for the summer, have to get crackin'. n/t

[Kolesar]

14. Heaven

Heaven is a place
A place where nothing, nothing ever happens

[msongs]

9. just a PR stunt that will make the church unaccountable millions of $$ nt

[Buzz Clik]

20. I think you would be unhappy if you donated to the Catholic Church. So, don't.

[xchrom]

13. Recommend.

[skepticscott]

16. Yes, but it's been proven

beyond any doubt whatsoever (sorta) that JP2 did miraculous, Jesus-like stuff. That must mean that he was on god's really good side, right? So why wait? He's either qualified to be a saint or he's not.

[MineralMan]

17. Can't see how that affects me in any way at all.

:shrug:

[Ian David]

19. Hurry-up and make him a saint before we find all the skeletons in his closet! n/t

[LiberalFighter]

21. The current pope is probably doing it to improve his own image.

[cleanhippie]

24. most likely because he is complicit in the pedophilia coverup.