John Paul II and the Communists
With recent events in Poland - the discovery certain priests cooperated with the communist regime, and the subsequent resignation of Archbishop Weiglus, I became convinced John Paul II knew there were ’spies’ around him throughout his career. He had lived with repressive regimes throughout his priesthood, he knew danger lurked around every corner, even in the next handshake.
One day a priest commented to me that a certain Archbishop expressed his approval of Pope Benedict XVI when he stated, “At least he looks at you when he shakes hands and isn’t looking for who may be more important as he moves down the line.” (That may say more about the Archbishop’s ego, than JPII’s demeanor, don’t you think?)
One may notice this trait in footage of JPII while he ‘works’ the crowd, as media likes to say, while he is greeting people - he often appears to be looking over the person he is with, while surveying the crowd. (When he greeted Sr. Lucia at Fatima, he appears to be looking over her, seemingly uninterested in her and what she is saying.) Many have insinuated that while he worked the crowd, he was also ‘performing’ for the camera. I disagree.
Today, I read a report in an article titled, “Moscow’s Assault on the Vatican“ referencing the Kremlin’s plans to discredit the Church, including efforts to eliminate JPII and his influence.
I don’t think John Paul was either ‘performing’ or ’on stage’ at public functions, nor was he ‘playing the media’, ‘working the crowd’, as media savvy people, as well as his critics, often suggest. Not so much. I believe he was always aware he was a potential target, even in Poland before he became Pope. JPII was an extremely sophisticated man. I am convinced his ‘looking down the line’, his visual awareness at all times of who was in the crowd, is a habit he developed from living under repressive and murderous regimes, intent upon wiping out the Catholic church and Polish culture.
We in the West, and most especially, we Americans haven’t a clue as to what it is like to live in a society wherein all rights are at the disposal of a repressive regime. Although some day we may understand it if we make the likes of Hilary Clinton our next president.
Yet with anti-depressants, we probably can endure anything - right?
