A papecy in which a pope utters virtual heresy

A papecy in which a pope utters virtual heresy

Pope John Paul II enjoyed the spotlight on the world stage. Mass media, modern travel and PR techniques were used to promote his brand of Catholicism. Shown kissing the ground at airports or wracked in pain in his final years were political acts. He also polarised the Catholic church. At the time of his death, mainstream media celebrated his role in directing mass revolt against Stalinism down pro-capitalist channels. MANNY THAIN reviews a recent, critical biography.AMAZING SCENES ACCOMPANIED the long drawn out and public death agony of Pope John Paul II, pronounced dead on 2 April 2005. He had reigned for 27 years, the second-longest serving pope in history. In his last days, tens of thousands of people from all over the world flocked to Saint Peter’s Square, Rome, the threshold of Vatican City, the papal ‘state’. It was a testament to the enduring influence of the Catholic church, established nearly 2,000 years ago. Several hundred thousand turned up for the funeral. Two hundred world leaders attended, including, for the first time, a US president.To many, this live-and-direct celebrity death-watch was inspirational. To others, it was macabre voyeurism. What is clear is that it was a meticulously stage-managed final act in John Paul II’s career as figurehead of the Catholic church, with which over a billion people, one in six of the world’s population, identify themselves.Shortly before his death, the latest in a long line of biographies was published. As with much commentary on the papacy, The Pope in Winter is written by a Catholic author. John Cornwell wishes to see a modernised papacy capable of adapting to the fast pace of change in the 21st century. His account is well researched and informative.In the introduction, Cornwell raises his key criticisms: "We have had a papacy in which a pope utters virtual heresy, bishops and faithful are told they may not discuss women priesthood, a curial cardinal teaches that condoms kill, prelates guilty of having shielded paedophiles are honoured, and a US president exploits the papacy as an election campaign stop".It is a critique of a bureaucratic regime from someone who seeks its reform.