The inimitable Mark Steyn, with his perfect combination of hard facts and wry humor, has nailed the MSM whiners who are angst-ridden about John Paul II being “orthodox,” “conservative,” and “doctrinaire (HT: Hugh Hewitt) . “The Pope’s Divisions” and “The Splendour of Truth,” both by Steyn, sum up why the MSM will never "get" the Catholic Church.
John Paul II was not interested in winning a popularity contest; he was committed to communicating eternal truth. It was not his mission to “update” or “modernize” the Catholic Church; it was his mission to protect and nurture it. Judging from the millions of people flocking to Rome to pay him their last respects, I’d guess that his firm adherence to objective values didn’t cost him as much popular support as MSM would like us to believe.
The Roman Catholic Church is a worldwide institution with over one billion members. The next pope, whoever he may be, will have to consider a panoramic global picture of which the U.S.A. is but a small segment. Some Catholic Americans continue to harp about the Vatican’s position on such issues as abortion, birth control, and women priests. As my daughter would say, “Get over yourselves.”
For just this one crucial moment in history, let us step back and realize that it’s not always about us and our agendas first. And it’s certainly not about the liberal elite media’s agenda, either. The next pope will have much greater concerns than American tantrums over Church teachings and traditions. Let’s bear in mind that he will need our prayers and support far more than our opinions and attitudes.
