 I can remember the frustration of those-especially
some theologians-who couldn't break the Papal will or understand the Petrine
heart and mind. Some resorted to a sophisticated manner of name-calling. It was
his "Polish" background that made him govern as he did, some suggested. I never
agreed. I am not Polish. I am an African-American from New Orleans. Nothing
could be further from the Polish experience of Karol Wojtyla than my own. Many
of my friends had backgrounds quite different from mine, but we all understood
that this Pope was doing what every Pope is commissioned to do. He was tending
the flock of Christ. Back in the late eighties and early nineties some foolishly
began to talk about what the next Pope would do and what progressive changes he
would make. One prominent commentator, a Briton and a former priest, wrote a
book called The Next Pope, projecting his own ideas about what might follow the
inevitable death of John Paul. This particular author died unexpectedly in 1994.
He had to witness the ongoing influence of Pope John Paul II from another
vantage point!
Later on I came to grow spiritually closer to the
Pope when I entered the seminary. Having begun to learn that Pope John Paul II
truly understood and possessed the "spirit of Vatican II", my entrance into the
seminary began a great adventure in study and, on a much deeper level, in
witnessing the example of the Polish Pope. What a joy it was for us seminarians
when we had professors who loved the Pope as much as we did, and what fun it was
to bring the Pope (via his many encyclicals and other writings) into classroom
dialogues with a few professors who seemed to have wished that he wasn't there!
I can remember one Liturgy professor telling me, "If all we are going to do is
read encyclicals, than I don't need to be here. I came to dialogue!" To which I
responded, "Father, I thought we were dialoging, I just wanted the Pope to have
his say along with the rest of us!" This Pope has taught priests how to be
priests and bishops how to be bishops. Not all have risen to the level of his
stature. Pray for us that we may learn from his lessons and follow his example!
Pray that his successor will continue the great work of the New Evangelization
that he began.
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