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Jan.9, 2005 -Jan.16, 2005 |
Quarter century of praise
The Royal Ontario Museum celebrated Pope's life works
By Niccolò Marras
Originally Published: 2003-12-14
This Pope makes people shudder. Even in absence, last week at the Royal Ontario Museum he enveloped the audience in his cloak, captivating and transporting the members along the quarter century of his Papacy. It was a trip back in time following the main steps of his work along this very long period in office, including the fundamental visit to Toronto in 2002.
Some 150 people followed with great intimate emotion the life and message of this Pope who 'came from afar' and went even further, beyond the border of unimaginable. "A work that went farther than any expectation," said Piero Schiavazzi, the director of the movie about the Pope's 25th anniversary.
The event had been organized as a celebration of the life and works of the 'Polish Pope', but it turned into something more, as John Paul II is 'more' for millions of faithful.
A question arises whenever one re-examines his story: who is he? What did he do?
He's probably one of the most important and decisive men of all time. Maybe, he's God's hand on Earth for fighting evil. He's the main architect of the Vatican's latest world policy.
Piero Schiavazzi, a journalist with the Telepace Catholic TV Station, discussed some of those strategies with us.
Why was the visit to Toronto for the World Youth Day fundamental for the Pope and for the Vatican? Why just outside the United States and not there?
"A clear reply requires a reference to remote events, the medieval Investiture Conflict."
[Ed's Note: In the 11th and 12th century the Papacy and the Empire had a tug-of-war about who was entitled to confer church posts; in 962 Emperor Otto I confirmed his power over the choice of the new Pope; in 1046, Emperor Henry III put his own man on the papal throne.]
Which Empire are we talking about now?
"We have two superpowers today: the Vatican and the United States of America. Just like then, we have the 'Empire', now embodied by the USA, 'pontificating'. They are trying to impose their 'Americanization', i.e. their model of social development based on cinema, fiction, economy, and consumerism, upon the whole world."
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