Pope John Paul II will be buried today, at about 10:00 a.m.

(Vatican time; about 5:00 p.m. here).  I would think that the

Pope’s passing may have sparked renewed interest in the Catholic faith

to many Catholics around the world, and even to non-Catholics and

non-Christians, given the widespread media coverage and outpouring of support, including those from non-Catholics.


After all, the term “catholic” means universal, and I do remember having discussions  of this concept during religion classes during my days at the Ateneo High School.  St. Josemaría Escrivá likewise states that “Jesus wants his Work from the outset to have a universal, Catholic heart.” 

So both the more liberal (Jesuit) and more orthodox (Opus Dei)

teachings would agree that Catholicism is universal.


The Conservative Liberal / Liberal Conservative.  Pope John Paul II, while unorthodox in his ways, espoused a high level of discipline and conservatism in the Catholic faith. 

He was firm in his stance in many issues, including abortion,

contraception, euthanasia, same-sex marriages, and the ordination of

women as priests.  His papacy is a modern one, in terms of its

omnipresence (in the media, through his travels), and in his

personality himself: the early papacy was marked by a


“vigorous and athletic Supreme Pontiff who swam, skied, canoed, hiked,

scaled mountains, and loved to gambol and dance with younger people at

Campfires in Castel Gandolfo, enjoying sing-alongs and songfests.”





But at the same time,


“despite his flamboyance, his headline-making exuberances, his charisma

– Pope John Paul II ended up a very unpopular Pope because of the

firmness of his belief and conviction and the steel of his will. He was

the sort of man who swam against the current and did not dread the loss

of public acclaim.”




I

consider myself to be a liberal Catholic, as I may

not exactly be in

agreement with the Vatican’s stand on several matters.  But I am

inspired by the firmness and conviction the Pope had.  His

charismatic and omnipresent personality served as an excellent medium

through which his faith and conviction had been spread throughout the

world.


After all, Jesus declared unto Peter, “And I say also unto thee,

that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the

gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” (Matthew 16:18). 

Pope John Paul II, as successor to St. Peter, stood faithful to his

mission.


Think science. Science think.

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