politics or diplomacy

Pope Francis looks to
heal Church with two
pope ....... - Pope Francis aims to unite
conservative and reformist strands of Catholicism
with the first canonization of two popes this
month—an impressive masterstroke that has
already stirred dissent in some quarters.
Conferring sainthood on John XXIII and John Paul
II means bringing together two distinct schools of
thought on what a pope should be—a humble
parish priest figure or a globetrotting, charismatic
superstar.
John Allen, a Vatican affairs expert at the Boston
Globe in the United States, has written that the
joint canonization shows Francis's "inclusive
spirit".
"Francis is speaking not just to the outside world
but to rival camps within the Catholic fold who
see John XXIII and John Paul II as their heroes—
meaning liberals and conservatives, respectively,"
he said.
Just a few months into his reign, Francis broke
with tradition last year by dramatically propelling
the canonization case for John XXIII—known as
"Good Pope John" and a pontiff with whom he
shares similarities.
Less widely known than Poland's Karol Wojtyla,
Italy's Angelo Roncalli played a key role in
modernizing Catholicism in the 1960s and to this
day inspires progressives who want a more
down-to-earth Church.
'Sainthood now!'
The two popes will be canonized together in St
Peter's Basilica on April 27, with many pilgrims—
anything from hundreds of thousands to a few
million—expected.
Rome city authorities are deploying thousands of
police officers and setting up four giant screens in
the city center so pilgrims can follow the
canonization mass.
Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who last year
became the first pontiff to resign since the Middle
Ages, could also attend, meaning two living and
two deceased popes would be present at the
historic ceremony.
Enthusiasts can follow the action on the dedicated
website www.2papisanti.org which has even been
coming out with daily vignettes depicting the two
popes preparing for sainthood as comic-book
characters.
While sainthood appeared a foregone conclusion
for John Paul II from the moment a vast crowd of
mourners chanted "Santo Subito!" (Sainthood
Now!) at his funeral in 2005, the result for John
XXIII was less obvious.
With his canonization announcement in July 2013,
Francis confirmed two miracles attributed to John
Paul II in the traditional procedure for sainthood,
but crucially skipped a step for John XXIII.
Francis declared the Italian pope, who only had
one supposed miraculous healing to his name, so
widely venerated already that he did not need a
second miracle—a rare loophole under Catholic
Church rules.
"It highlights the fact that the devotion was not
very widespread", said Marco Tosatti, a Vatican
expert for the La Stampa daily, suggesting that
fewer people praying to John XXIII meant less
chance of miracles.
"He wanted to make someone he really likes a
saint."
The move has irritated Wojtyla's Polish fans who
say it overshadows their hero—a divisive figure
who critics say turned a blind eye to pedophile
priests and waged a campaign against leftist
clergymen.
Vatican conservatives have also expressed
concern about bending the rules on sainthood,
seeing this as the latest example of maverick
behavior from a pope who has shown impatience
with tradition.
Political flair
Bergoglio has frequently expressed admiration for
John XXIII, a former Vatican diplomat known as
the driving force behind the reformist Vatican II
Council.
He has also eulogized—although less often—John
Paul II as a "missionary" and a "tireless
preacher".
Vatican experts say that the double canonization
shows "political flair" by Pope Francis but it
remains to be seen whether his efforts to unite
Catholicism pay off.
Experts also point to some similarities between
John XXIII and John Paul II, who both showed a
tradition-breaking style tempered with
conservatism on doctrine—similar to Pope
Francis.
But expert Bruno Bartoloni said John Paul II's
fame overshadows that of John XXIII so much that
the latter could end up being "a bit of a detail" at
the ceremony.
"There was a veneration in Italy, he was extremely
popular. Taxi drivers used to have his image on
their dashboards! But now that generation is
gone," he said. — Agence France-Presse
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