An alliance of Church establishment and popular piety marched
triumphantly in Rome at the weekend as a throng of cardinals, bishops
and hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful applauded Pope Benedict
XVI's elevation of his Polish predecessor to heavenly status as Blessed
John Paul.
The German Pontiff and a global 'people of God' overrode
wide disquiet among the Catholic population at the sheer speed of John
Paul II's beatification - just six years after his death.
Yet the
former Karol Wojtyla officially joined the hallowed ranks when Pope
Benedict proclaimed in Latin: "From now on Pope John Paul shall be
called 'Blessed'."
With these timeless words, Pope Benedict, who
had waived the customary five-year rule before the initiation of a cause
for sainthood, magisterially silenced concerned critics who urged
delaying the advancement of the beatification process.
Their point
of departure was that it was too soon for a proper investigation of
John Paul's handling of clerical child abuse scandals during his
27-year-long stewardship of the Holy See.
Numerous theologians
claim Pope Benedict is ignoring evidence that John Paul shielded the
notorious paedophile Fr Marcial Maciel - the Mexican founder of the
wealthy Legionaries of Christ.
The American National Catholic
Reporter has published well-sourced articles showing how the late Maciel
had multiple affairs with women that produced out-of-wedlock children.
He also sexually abused some of his own children, as well as
seminarians.
Acknowledging doubts were raised about the
appropriateness and timing of the beatification, the Primate of All
Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, was adamant the first Slav Pope was now
present with God in the other world above.
In even greater
certitude of mind and body, a French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre,
told a large crowd in Rome on Saturday evening of how her praying for
healing to John Paul cured her.
Even though medical doubts remain
about the inexplicability of the cure, it was the Church's approval of
this claimed miracle as absolute divine truth that constituted the
grounds for John Paul's beatification - the last stage before sainthood.
The
immortality of John Paul was declared beside his mortal remains, which
were placed prominently in front of the main altar of St Peter's on
Sunday.
The biggest crowd in Rome since his death thundered acclaim just
seconds after Benedict read out the beatification proclamation,
followed by unveiling of a Hollywood-style tapestry displaying the
beamingly benign smile of John Paul.
The Vatican does Hollywood
better than Hollywood. A touch of Alfred Hitchcock mystery came earlier
when John Paul's coffin was exhumed.
Poland's Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz
exclaimed: "He is no longer in the tomb. The tomb has remained empty
because he is here again."
Meanwhile, John Paul's remains will be
moved to a new crypt under a side chapel altar near Michelangelo's
statue of La Pieta - Karolus Magnus alongside Jesus, Mary and
Michelangelo.
The beatification will soon be upstaged by his
canonisation. Some argue the Church should move promptly to canonise
John Paul.
Meanwhile in the shadows is Bishop John Magee - John Paul's
former secretary - as we await the Murphy Report into his handling of
abuse allegations in the diocese of Cloyne.