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Tuesday, April 05, 2005
  Karol.

Everything that could be said about John Paul II. has been said, I'm sure. I doubt that I can add any more facts to the newspaper elegies or the grand TV opera. And it wouldn't matter if I could.

Therefore look at this as a personal view of the late pope, a simple pile of thoughts. Nothing vital, merely things that go through my head when I think about him: Karol Wojtyla.

I never liked him much. He was a conservative right wing catholic, and the world does not need that. This world does not need a pope to tell them how condoms are against God or that abortions - and the women who consider them - are evil. It is antiquated, undiplomatic and does no good to say something like that, especially when you incorporate the power of a church with almost 2 billion followers. It is arrogant and destructive.

However, I also noticed how he travelled the world to fight for peace. How he stood up against the war in Iraq. How he admitted to the atrocities committed by the church, openly begged for forgiveness and began profound dialogues with other religions. The young people loved him, and he loved them. He never hid behind his position, he was a man of the public. He was very popular.

How does that fit one description?

Karol Wojtyla never cared about what others might think of him. As ignorant as this might appear, it was also his greatest strength. He did what he thought was right, always, at any time. Even constructive criticism from his subordinates was considered a disloyality. There was no room for different opinions, the catholic church was centralised. As a politician Karol would have been a dictator. But he was no politician. He was the anchor of faith. And he knew it. What was a belief worth that could be altered on the basis of an agreement among people? Karol knew the answer.

But he was not a mystic either. Not at all. His sermons were neither insightful nor enlightening. He was a worldly pope, more real and concrete than most things are today. He wanted to be everywhere and used every medium possible to achieve that. A material pope.

For the world of politics he was the loyal opposition. The adversary. Despite - or maybe because of - his lack of real power he could make their lives real hard. And for that people believed in him. They believed in him because belief is supposed to be as uncompromising as he was. If that was his job, he did it real well.

Your journey here is over, Karol. I wish you well. You have my respect. Even if I never liked you.  16:51