I’m reading an interesting book at the moment which I retrieved from a second hand shop and although a bit dated, its an intriguing and revealing read called ‘Gods Politician’ by David Willey.
I was/remain a fan of his in some respects, but I just believe now that the man who is credited for bringing down the iron curtain through “the power of prayer” did so with a lot more temporal help.
He had the audacity to constantly reprimand and punish liberation theologians from his unique podium of supranatural influence, while he was covertly funneling church money to the nascent solidarity movement in Poland and his soon to be elected proxy there; Lech Walesa.
This was a person with undeniably positive characteristics, but at the same time he was also an authoritarian bully and someone used to never having his pronouncements directly challenged!
An ivory tower dweller, who’s views on contraception and abortion undoubtedly made life harder for millions, through his church’ vast material influence.
Is it not suspicious, when someone with a supposed direct hotline to an invisible friend, claims to know emphatically how this world and all its inhabitants should live their lives?
I turned the pages and out spilled so many ugly episodes, the Banco Ambrosiano scandal, his awkward spotlight sharing with nasty South American dictators, his blessing of the outlandish Yamoussoukro basilica in the impoverished Ivory Coast…….
An absolute ruler, with many undeniable human flaws!
One of the things I will never understand, is why the mere mention of what are essentially common human blemishes, can be considered such a blasphemous attack.
Is his manufactured legacy so brittle, that such things should not even be discussed, or maybe its the widely accepted aphorism about not speaking ill of the dead.
Its been a number of years, since this book was published.
I turned the pages and the old adage is truer than ever, that “absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
Links used for this post:
https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Politician-Catholic-Church-World/dp/0312087985