Usually, I wake up to the soft words of CBC Radio’s overnight broadcast. THIS morning, I woke up to the sound of hundreds of people singing in Latin. What the hell was going on?
Oh yes…my foggy, sleepy brain finally clued in: it was the Papal Funeral.
I’m trying very hard to get worked up about the death of Pope John Paul II…but it’s just not happening.
Did he help to bring down the Russian Communist empire? Absolutely.
Did he work hard to promote peace and human rights? Absolutely.
However…
Did he silence debate on female ordination in the Catholic Church? Absolutely!
Did he ignore the pedeophilia crisis in the American Catholic church until the last possible moment — only to continue to protect criminal priests and clergy? Absolutely!
Did he call gay and lesbian people part of an “intrinsic ideology of evil”? Absolutely!
Did his tireless campaign against birth control and contraceptives indirectly contribute to the AIDS holocaust in the Third World? Absolutely!
I’m convinced he was a good man at heart…unfortunately, all his good works were mitigated by his hateful, ancient prejudices. I’m sorry he’s gone, but I’m even more sorry that he’s left behind such a mixed legacy, that hurts far more people than it helps.
Time to catch up on some sleep now…
