The Pope's passing is a time of sadness and reflection, even for those of us who are not Catholic. He was one of the most important voices of moral authority in our world, a world which has too few moral voices, and his voice will be missed. He was a great man who refused to be cowed by the "evil empire" and stood alongside Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Lech Walesa, and a short list of other heroes of the victory over the totalitarian ideology of communism. He did more to mend the sibling animosity between Christians and Jews than anyone could have imagined when he ascended the Papacy. But perhaps because of his ailments in his later years, his voice became fainter, literally and figuratively, during some important moments in the life of the church he lead.
The post war "baby boomer" generation was a privileged and indulged generation; narcissism is the quintessential personality trait of the boomers. We were brought up to believe we could, and should, have whatever we wanted. The first "boomer" president, Bill Clinton, epitomized the spoiled child who did what he wanted "because he could". The connection between freedom and responsibility was loosened. "Just do it" became the motto; instead of requiring people to take responsibility for themselves we built a culture of entitlement, losing part of an entire generation to dependency. Making judgments about right and wrong became the only "wrong" for large segments of our culture, especially in our schools.
The ship of state began its long, slow correction from the excesses of liberalism with the election of Ronald Reagan and has picked up speed with the current President, yet while Reagan had a moral ally in the Pope, Bush has had little benefit from the clear moral voice of the Pope. The Catholic Church was seriously damaged as a moral force by its own lethargic reaction to the scandals involving priest's abuse of young children. Perhaps a younger Pope John Paul would have reacted more vigorously; Parkinson's Disease not only saps one's physical strength but also slows the mind.
At a time when we needed to relearn the importance of responsibly moderating our desires, John Paul's voice became muted.
Over the last few weeks, John Paul has given us one last gift. Perhaps, in this time when the right to live is locked in a struggle with the right to die, the Pope's death will prove to be as meaningful as his life. He remained true to his beliefs, whether you agreed with him or not; he was able to maintain his dignity in a world that seems to make every effort to strip us of any dignity, privacy, and transcendence.
Our world is a better place for his time with us.
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