Beautification and canonization signifies that a
person was heroically virtuous in life, is now in heaven and worthy of true veneration. The
pope's candidacy for beatification has enjoyed fast-track treatment since his successor Pope
Benedict XVI waived the usual five-year waiting period, allowing the process to begin in May
2005, a month after Pope John Paul II death. Pope John Paul II supporters have been trying to find a way to get him declared "Great" and are scrambling to put Pope John Paul II on the fast track to beautification in making him a saint. In order to do that they are recognizing a "miraculous" healing of an French nun. A dossier has been provided that contains the needed proof of Pope John Paul II miraculous intercession to cure a French nun of Parkinson's disease will be submitted to the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. Rev. Giuseppe D'Alonzo, is acting as the so-called "devil's advocate" in Pope John Paul II's beatification process, who will investigate any possible doubts about the late pontiff's saintliness, pledged to remain objective. He claims to be neither for nor against beatification for the late pope, who was considered a saint by many even before he died on April 1st. (April Fools Day). The Rev. Giuseppe D'Alonzo, hinted that he supported the cause. Another miracle would be needed after the beatification of Pope John Paul II before this Pope can be canonized. As for John Paul II, the Vatican give the false impression that the jury's still out. I'm not Catholic or a Christian, but I know the nominee's background is investigated, and proof of miracles is needed. One for beautification, and another for sainthood status. I'm curious, in the case of John Paul II, where on the application for beautification might one denote "refused to help save millions from genocide?". How would one describe that all important second miracle, "in which he gave succor and protection to pedophile priests"? I have no doubt that Pope John Paul II was a very popular pope to most Catholics. I would think so given that this Catholic pope, John Paul II had traveled the world more than any preceding popes, and had lasted much longer than most other popes, and consequently became better known to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. But do this pope really deserve to be beautified as a Saint? Let us see what he did or did not do while he was a pope. Pope John Paul II followed the advice of the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was then Prefect for the "Sacred" Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and squashed the attempts of Catholic priests and bishops in their fight of Liberation Theology to bring Freedom, Justice, Equality and Dignity to the people of Central and South America. People who have been suppressed throughout the centuries and even killed by the Elites who owned or controlled eighty percent of the total land mass during their struggle against oppression. The pampered Cardinals who feasted upon the lush banquets and received special "gifts" from the Elites had first complained to Pope, Benedict XVI, and later to Pope John Paul II that these priests and bishops of liberation theology were upsetting and frustrating the control over the pheasants. These pampered Vatican Cardinals told the pheasants that they need to just accept their fate in life and when they die, they will be rewarded in the Heavenly Realm for all their suffering. In other words, don't rock the boat, don't upset the apple-cart. Don't upset the status quoi! Liberation theology is a school of theology that focuses on the liberation of the oppressed. It emphasizes to bring justice to the poor and oppressed, particularly through political activism. It has been rejected by the Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church. But what did Pope John Paul II do considering the pope's well-known aversion to "unfettered capitalism." He branded these priests and bishops of liberation theology as Communists as an excuse to squash the liberation movement. At its inception, liberation
theology was predominantly found in the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council
although some suggest that it was first articulated in the 1930s on issues like social justice,
poverty and human rights. It is often cited as a form of Christian socialism, and it has
enjoyed widespread influence in Latin America and among the Jesuits, although its influence
diminished within Catholicism after the Vatican issued official rejections of the theology in
the 1980s and liberation theologians were harshly admonished by Pope John Paul II leading to
the curtailing of its growth. Pope John Paul II opposed the use of contraception to African
people who really needed it as a means to stem the spread of Aids. During his reign, the
Catholic Church was rocked by reports of pedophilia among priests, mostly with alter boys
serving in churches, and he did little if anything to curb it. Only when there was much
pressure from the news media did he make comments on this grave matter. The practice of the
Vatican was to re-establish an offending priest or bishop to another part of the diocese who's
parishioners were totally unaware of what was going on. Given these known facts, should Pope
John Paul II be considered to be "Great" or be a candidate for beautification to Sainthood? I
think not. Pope John Paul II left this world fearing death, and for good reason. He was totally
unprepared for his passage into the next realm, in which he will be judged in the "Hall of
Balance" and be condemned to the second death which makes the whole concept of sainthood for
him even more ridiculous.