Politics & Policies: The political pope

By Claude Salhani
UPI International Editor

Published 4/4/2005 11:19 AM

WASHINGTON, April 4 (UPI) -- There is no argument among supporters and opponents of Pope John Paul II over the impact he had on the world of politics, religion and social morality. In fact, a majority of American Catholics believe John Paul II deserves sainthood. Chances are he will most likely be canonized.

Both those who approved of his conservative views and those who opposed them agree John Paul II was a great man and a remarkable pontiff who guided he Catholic Church through some turbulent times, such as the sexual abuse scandals that came to light a few years ago. The pope will no doubt enter history books as someone who helped change the Church and altered the course of history.

The argument, rather, is over how his conservative philosophy affected many of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics, particularly those living in the developing and under-developed worlds.

As the staunch conformist he was, John Paul II was often accused of failing to accept the reality of our time on issues such as celibacy in the all-male priesthood, and his continued ban on the use of condoms as a means of preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

In an article published in The Nation on Oct. 16, 2003, commenting on the pope's refusal to allow condoms for medical reasons, columnist Katha Pollit asked "Is the Pope Crazy?"

Pollit argued that though medical authorities -- hundreds of doctors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the U.N.'s World Health Organization as well as a number of foundations fighting HIV/AIDS, encouraged the use of condoms, as did a number of Catholic bishops around the world -- the pope remained adamantly opposed on the issue, insisting abstinence was the answer.

Abstinence is the best answer when people manage to abstain, which is hardly the case in many parts of the world.

Condoms4Life, a project of Catholics for a free choice, designed to raise public awareness about the devastating effect of the bishops' ban on condoms, launched a worldwide campaign in 2001, displaying ads on large billboards, in newspapers and in subway, saying "Banning Condoms Kills."

Disagreeing with the Vatican's view that the use of condoms are sinful, a 2004 study carried out by the WHO found "condoms significantly reduce the risk of HIV in men and women."

Last January Juan Antonio Mart?nez Camino, secretary general of the Spanish bishops' conference, was reported saying "condoms are part of the integral and global prevention of AIDS."

As could be expected, the statement set off a flurry of statements and responses from bishops and bishops' conferences. "Ultimately," according to the Catholic activists' Web site, "the Vatican and the Spanish bishops' conference cracked down on the discussions about the appropriate use of condoms as part of a full and comprehensive prevention strategy for HIV/AIDS."

According to the WHO, AIDS kills more than 8,000 people every day. That amounts to one person dying every 10 seconds. WHO estimates that since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 30 million people have died from HIV/AIDS.

At any rate, when questioned about the pope's reign, American Catholics say the pope did a good job, overall. A new poll conducted jointly by Le Moyne College and Zogby International reveals a majority of American Catholics -- 67 percent -- strongly believes the late pontiff will be made a saint.

In a survey of 888 American Catholics nationwide conducted April 3, one day after the pontiff's death, respondents to the Le Moyne College/Zogby Contemporary Catholic Trends Poll were nearly universal in saying they held a favorable impression of John Paul II, with a whopping 98 percent saying they "either held a very or somewhat favorable impression of the late Church leader."

Nine-in-ten, or 90 percent of American Catholics agree the pontiff understood the challenges facing the American Catholic Church.

The pope does get somewhat weaker marks in one area, however. While 70 percent say the pontiff was an effective leader for improving the status of women in the Church, they are mixed in their intensity, with 39 percent strongly agreeing and 31 percent only somewhat agreeing with the sentiment. Women agreed the pope had improved their status in the Church at a slightly higher rate than men, by a 72 percent to 68 percent margin.

The poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

Whether he is canonized or not, John Paul II will be remembered as one of the most influential popes of our time, and as one of the more politicized pontiffs, who did not shy away from using his influence to impose his philosophy.

If the pope was unmovable on issues of morality, he proved far more flexible when it came to accepting and reaching out to other religions.

John Paul II became the first pope to reach out to other faiths. He was the first pope to enter a Jewish house of worship when he made an impromptu visit to Rome's main synagogue, joining Rabbi Elio Toaff in prayer. His actions helped bridge almost 2,000 years of disaccord between the two faiths.

The pope also made history as the first pope to ever visit a mosque, when he visited the Syrian capital, Damascus, in 2001, stressing the importance of Christian-Muslim understanding.

Muslim and Jewish leaders in the Middle East were unanimous in praising the pope for his efforts to promote peace in the area.

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