John Paul II lost chance

Like so many people in this country, I was baptized according to catholic tradition. I grew up with a strong commitment to catholic faith and its rituals. But years later I refused to take the confirmation sacrament. As many teenagers my beliefs toward the Catholic Church as Institution became weak.

Today is the hour in which the virtues of the Polish Pope are proclaimed: His fight against the Comunism, his contrition by the historical church mistakes, his habilities like a statesman. But there was something he had opportunity to do and he did not: To help to improve the life’s conditions of million people in Latin America being a Liberation Theology supporter. His position about this issue were in a certain way comprehensible due his Comunism personal phobia. Although at the end of his administration he made strongs critics towards wild Capitalism, at the very precise moment he did not use his influence on million people in order to stop it. His anti-comunism blinded to him and restrained at the same time, and not only that: He took action against the idea that the Church could improve the life in this earth. For the poor people of the world, the best consolation is still the hope of an eternal life in another place called "paradise".

This lost opportunity, as well as his positions about women, contraceptive methods and homosexuals, are the dark side of his history like the supreme guide of Catholic Church. Those facts must be remembered besides his virtues, and put in the balance.

Personally, when I go out to the street and I still see the fanaticism of people (adoring divine appearances in a fruit, for example) and the terrible submission and poverty, I just feel a big reproach towards Catholic Church. They are able to improve the world and they don’t use their influence. I live in a country where is very hard for me to feel any admiration by John Paul II.