Column

TEACHER, SI, RULER, NO

James Hitchcock

John Paul II is the greatest thinker ever to occupy the papal throne, and will leave behind a massive body of theological and philosophical writings which far exceed, both in quality and quantity, the work of all but a few professional scholars. Already a formidable thinker before his elevation to ecclesiastical office, he has amazingly kept on with that activity, at an undiminished level of excellence. As the Church of the next millennium ponders its direction, his work will have to be given a central place even apart from the fact that he was pope, although his ascension to the papal office insured that his writings have gained the attention they deserve.

But a pope is not only a teacher. He is also a ruler, and here John Paul's pontificate seems enigmatic. Put in starkest terms, the very majesty of his thought seems often to serve to measure the widening gulf between official Church teaching and what is conveyed to the faithful in the pews.

This is especially ironic in view of John Paul's reputation as a "tough" pope, characterized by some of his enemies even as a fascist or a dictator. Over and over the media have publicized his disciplinary actions taken against certain individuals, such as Hans Kung, his "conservative" episcopal appointments, his alleged unwillingness to listen to disagreement. Yet, while Paul VI is regarded by contrast as a permissive pope, an evaluation of the state of the Church near the end of John Paul's reign cannot help but conclude that its health is much diminished over the past eighteen years.

Historians will probably debate for years why this is so (it seems undeniable that it is), and there are varying theories:

His philosophical orientation, as in part a phenomenologist, makes him reject authoritative approaches to truth. He deeply believes in the power of dialogue and persuasion and thinks that, if he reiterates his message over and over again, he will win over the skeptics.

His experience in Poland gave him a permanent aversion to playing a role which might be mistaken for that of a commissar, so that he finds it necessary to tolerate many things which are objectively bad.

In Poland itself it was Cardinal Wyszynski who confronted the Communist regime, while Cardinal Wojtyla was more willing to work within the restrictions the regime imposed.

The defeat of Communism was the principal aim of John Paul's pontificate, in which he succeeded beyond all expectations. Thus he could not risk an openly divided, even schismatic, Church.

He regards schism as the worst possible evil which could befall the Church and is willing to tolerate heresy as the lesser evil.

As an intellectual John Paul understands the power of ideas, including the destructive power of false ideas. Hence he placed Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in a key position. On the other hand, as an intellectual he is also not altogether comfortable in the world of bureaucratic power and governance. Hence he confounded many people, at the very beginning of his reign, by making the liberal Cardinal Agostino Casaroli secretary of state, an appointment which in many ways effectively undercut what is assumed to be John Paul's agenda for the Church. It does not appear that he has ever been in full control even of his own Curia.

The idea of collegiality, as taught by the Second Vatican Council, is a constraint on his actions which he believes he must accept.

There are numerous other theories, including crasser ones, such as the surmise that he is restricted by the need for American (and German) money to finance Vatican activities.

The theoretical mind of John Paul is clear, and his thoughts abundant. By contrast no one even claims to know his mind concerning the actual condition of the Church. Does he believe that his methods are succeeding, despite appearances? Does he think the condition of the Church is beyond human help and is solely in the hands of God? Has he in effect despaired of the West and judges that the future of the Church lies elsewhere? Is he apocalyptic and believes some great spiritual event is about to occur? Once again, no one even pretends to know, and John Paul does not seem given to confiding in anyone his true assessment of the situation.

Some argue that he came to the papal throne already committed to a "moderate" course. However, for the first ten years of his papacy he seemed to be moving slowly but inexorably towards confronting serious abuses. Then during l987 and l988 he seemed suddenly to retreat on almost all fronts. In the United States, for example, systematic investigations of seminaries and religious orders, mandated by the Vatican, were allowed to end with abuses essentially uncorrected; a document dealing with Catholic higher education was stripped of all enforcement power; the Vatican's demand for a retraction from religious women who had signed a pro-abortion statement was quietly dropped; and in various other ways the signs became clear that the Holy See would accommodate itself to disorders rather than correct them.

In the beginning of his pontificate John Paul's strategy of visiting all parts of the world was a brilliant and fruitful one. He demonstrated the immense prestige and appeal which he possessed, articulated a message people were hearing from few other sources, and in effect spoke to the people of the world over the head of their political and even religious leaders.

But there never was any systematic attempt to build on this massive success. The Holy See has continued to appoint bishops, at least in the West, who have no real commitment to the Holy Father's vision and consider it far more important to fit in with the local Church as they find it. But there is also no reason to suppose that the Holy See itself wants bold and courageous bishops. Instead it seems to look for men who are personally orthodox but eager to make accommodations.

The result is that the whole massive body of inspiring teachings -the Pope's own, along with other documents such as The Catechism of the Catholic Church - remain largely untaught throughout the Church, ignored through the conscious policy of the very men John Paul sends to govern the Church in each locality.

Despite all this, his teachings and those inspired by his leadership do continue to gladden the hearts of millions of the faithful. v

James Hitchcock, a regular columnist for Catholic Dossier, is professor of history at Saint Louis University.