VATICAN CITY, April 30 (AFP) - With Sunday's beatification of John Paul II, the Vatican is hoping to capitalise on the late pope's enduring popularity to burnish its image amid multiple scandals, experts said.
The Vatican is well aware that the pope from the other side of the Iron Curtain was a historic and extraordinary global figure with wide popular appeal reaching beyond Christian circles -- a sharp contrast to the current pontiff.
 |
| Children walk past giant photos of late pope John Paul II on April 29, 2011 in Rome. John Paul II will be honoured on May 1 at a solemn beatification ceremony in Saint Peter's basilica that will give the late pontiff “blessed” status for the world's 1.1 billion Catholics and put him on the path towards full sainthood. AFP |
While his successor Benedict XVI is respected, he does not have the same charisma and has struggled through gaffes and miscommunications as the scandal of paedophile priests has exploded around the Western world.
Observers say the Vatican wants to set John Paul as an example.
The Polish pope continues to have a powerful media presence -- as shown by multiple biographical broadcasts in recent days.
A giant picture on Saint Peter's Square shows John Paul gripping a crucifix -- a powerful image of a pope who held on until the end of his life despite excruciating pain and the debilitating ravages of Parkinson's disease.
Vatican expert Marco Tosatti said the crowds of pilgrims coming to Rome for Sunday's beatification felt a bond with a personable pope who did not seem far removed despite sitting atop of one of the world's most ancient hierarchies.
“John Paul II was a lay person who became a priest. Under his reign, lay people were finally recognised and clericalism was on the back foot,” he said.
Tosatti referred in particular to John Paul's background before becoming priest as an actor, a poet and a worker in his native Poland.
The paradox of John Paul's legacy is that he remains widely loved despite having been in total opposition to a secularised Western world.
But that is also part of his appeal -- as shown by the crowds of young people who still attend the World Youth Day celebrations he started.
The clergy and experts who have spoken about John Paul in the media have emphasised his attention to the fate of individuals and his strict interpretation of faith and resistance to progressive movements in the Church.
John Paul stood for ideals in a disenchanted and restless world.
|
E-mail
