1920~2005 Pope John Paul II
CNN.com - After 26-year reign, pontiff dies at 84 - Apr 2, 2005
I am inexplicably saddened by this loss. Perhaps it's because I was born and raised Catholic, perhaps it's because I am always saddened when the passing of someone like this marks my place in my own life's mortality so poignantly (a historical marker of great portent), perhaps (mainly - I think) because this is the passing of a very holy man and the world at times seems so lacking in holy men and women.
Since I was a young child I was drawn to spirituality - as I believe a lot of us are but we end up being confused, or disappointed by what is offered in our local church, or perhaps like most young people, we feel the need to rebel against that which our parents tell us to do - we need to blaze our own trails. I was no different than most. However, always I had a fascination with the mysticism of Catholicism. I was forever reading about the lives of the saints. I would scour the tiny library in our parish (St. Joseph's Church in Verona, PA) - for books about saints.
I have a memory from the time when I was just about to be 'confirmed' in the Catholic church (in other words for those non-Catholic readers, to become an 'adult' in the eyes of the church). It was springtime (May to be exact) and there was a priest at our church, his name was Father Ritzert - and he and I would talk. He would put up with my endless questions about church doctrine, he never chastised me for asking questions. He was always patient with me and kind. One day I was watching him wash his car and talking to him, and he was teasing me about the name I would take at my confirmation (when you get confirmed you get to choose a name) - he wanted me to pick the name 'Cunnegunda' which in German translates to 'good girl' - she was obviously a saint, however, since I had not heard of her or known whether or not she suffered a particularly gruesome, self-inflicted pennance (like whipping herself with a cat-o-nine-tails, or swooning because it was suddenly discovered she had the 'stigmata') - I refused to take her name. Instead I was going to use my Italian grandmother's name Anne (Anna) after St. Anne the mother of Mary.
At some point in our conversation in order to vex him, I asked him the wonderful question: "What if God were to make a rock so big even HE couldn't lift it?" Father Ritzert smiled down at me and said: "God is not bound by man's words or laws, my dear."
This Pope was the living, breathing, representation of that sentiment. While I no longer consider myself Catholic (or even a Christian on most days), I greatly did admire this man. For he stuck to his guns, to his convictions. He did not make the religious path 'easy' for following God IS never easy. Being holy is never a popular way of living. Nor is speaking out against a leader of a nation, or fighting an entire regime. While I feel that the Catholic church does need to listen to the needs of their flock, consider the fact that we do live in the 21st century, allow women more of a leading role in the Church (including allowing them to become Priestesses), allowing their priests to marry if they wish...I have to admire John Paul II and his refusal to water down God and the doctrines he so strongly believed in.
May he rest in peace.
I am inexplicably saddened by this loss. Perhaps it's because I was born and raised Catholic, perhaps it's because I am always saddened when the passing of someone like this marks my place in my own life's mortality so poignantly (a historical marker of great portent), perhaps (mainly - I think) because this is the passing of a very holy man and the world at times seems so lacking in holy men and women.
Since I was a young child I was drawn to spirituality - as I believe a lot of us are but we end up being confused, or disappointed by what is offered in our local church, or perhaps like most young people, we feel the need to rebel against that which our parents tell us to do - we need to blaze our own trails. I was no different than most. However, always I had a fascination with the mysticism of Catholicism. I was forever reading about the lives of the saints. I would scour the tiny library in our parish (St. Joseph's Church in Verona, PA) - for books about saints.
I have a memory from the time when I was just about to be 'confirmed' in the Catholic church (in other words for those non-Catholic readers, to become an 'adult' in the eyes of the church). It was springtime (May to be exact) and there was a priest at our church, his name was Father Ritzert - and he and I would talk. He would put up with my endless questions about church doctrine, he never chastised me for asking questions. He was always patient with me and kind. One day I was watching him wash his car and talking to him, and he was teasing me about the name I would take at my confirmation (when you get confirmed you get to choose a name) - he wanted me to pick the name 'Cunnegunda' which in German translates to 'good girl' - she was obviously a saint, however, since I had not heard of her or known whether or not she suffered a particularly gruesome, self-inflicted pennance (like whipping herself with a cat-o-nine-tails, or swooning because it was suddenly discovered she had the 'stigmata') - I refused to take her name. Instead I was going to use my Italian grandmother's name Anne (Anna) after St. Anne the mother of Mary.
At some point in our conversation in order to vex him, I asked him the wonderful question: "What if God were to make a rock so big even HE couldn't lift it?" Father Ritzert smiled down at me and said: "God is not bound by man's words or laws, my dear."
This Pope was the living, breathing, representation of that sentiment. While I no longer consider myself Catholic (or even a Christian on most days), I greatly did admire this man. For he stuck to his guns, to his convictions. He did not make the religious path 'easy' for following God IS never easy. Being holy is never a popular way of living. Nor is speaking out against a leader of a nation, or fighting an entire regime. While I feel that the Catholic church does need to listen to the needs of their flock, consider the fact that we do live in the 21st century, allow women more of a leading role in the Church (including allowing them to become Priestesses), allowing their priests to marry if they wish...I have to admire John Paul II and his refusal to water down God and the doctrines he so strongly believed in.
May he rest in peace.
posted by Colette at 7:56 PM
1 Comments:
it would be interesting to know who the next pope would be considering in the world context, that there are more catholics outside of italy. approximately 50% of which are in the americas ..
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