Letter from America

Pope John Paul II was without doubt an astonishing individual.

He grew up in Communist Poland, experienced the suffering and the tyranny of that regime, and rose to pre-eminence in a religious organisation that had previously been dominated by native Italians. While enduring one of the longest papacies in history, John Paul II was universally respected. One colleague was said to have remarked that it was ‘as if he had always been Pope’.

He, some say miraculously, survived an assassination attempt on his life. His writings on ‘life’ issues, from abortion to euthanasia (as well as affirming the more traditional and controversial Roman Catholic doctrines concerning contraception), while not endearing him to liberal Roman Catholics around the globe, gave him the (even if at times begrudging) respect of all who saw him as a man of principle. By the end, millions were gathered praying for him and, afterwards, mourning his departure.

Surprising statements

That all needs to be said. Once said, though, it has become surprising (if not astonishing) to me the total support he has received from evangelical leaders in America. No one has dared utter a criticism of any great substance. Billy Graham has simply called him, ‘Unquestioningly the most influential voice for morality and peace in the world during the past 100 years’. James Dobson said, ‘We found common cause with him and the “culture of life” he espoused so eloquently.’ There is, of course, no conversion to Roman Catholicism in these words, and yet even Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who does wisely moderate his praise, critiques merely the office of Pope which he states is not a ‘biblical office’ and his ‘pastoral statements on hell’.

Central issues

I too respect John Paul II and have Roman Catholic friends and (etc. etc.) all that. Yet, surely the way of his passing raises the very central issues of difference that at such a time as this — without wishing to rain on anyone’s parade, as they say in America — are worth at some point expressing, if only to moderate our enthusiasm, not for the man, but for the religion he represents. After all, I have wanted to ask many a Roman Catholic, why are they so upset at his death? He lived a full life, he was a stunningly successful Pope, he has died, and while I know that RC (Roman Catholic — hereafter ‘RC’) theology teaches purgatory where our sins are purged before full entrance to heaven, surely (I have wanted to say) if anyone goes straight to heaven it’s a Pope? Should there not be some spirit of rejoicing? Does not the Bible teach us not to grieve like others who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4.13)? Where is the message of grace in the spectacle of vast numbers of people praying for the soul of the Pope?

And there, as they say, is the rub. I was speaking like this on Sunday evening, fearing I might have offended someone from an RC background, to discover that after the service an RC who was in attendance at our service came up to me with a beaming smile and great gratitude. She had exactly the same questions about the mourning for the Pope. Recently a friend had given her a Bible. She was reading it every day and, now she said, every next day was better than the previous. She couldn’t understand why the RC church didn’t encourage people to read the Bible.

Faith alone

Have we forgotten all this? I was almost frothing at the mouth when I read J.I. Packer’s recent piece in Books and Culture about his name-sponsored ‘movement’, evangelicals and Catholics Together. It was, as usual and of course, eloquently written. But it was almost as if in Packer’s mind graciousness towards folk of a different denomination could only come from (to my mind, spoon-bending distortions regarding) the nature of what RC theology is meant to teach and traditional evangelical faith. So, RC and evangelicals both believe in justification by faith; but have we really forgotten that the whole Reformation was about justification by faith alone? Or have we really bought into the secular idea that you can’t be nice and gracious to someone and disagree with them at the same time? Where’s that idea of ‘truthing in love’ that Paul teaches the Ephesians (Ephesians 4.15)?

So all that to say that this massive confusion of Christian doctrine seems to be circling around the current (tragic and sad, for all death is a tragedy) death of the Pope. Maybe we’re so desperate for allies in the cultural war against secular liberalism that we’ll embrace anyone who’s morally conservative. Which begs the question (to American evangelicals): is our message ‘conservative morality’ or Christ Crucified?

Why the mourning?

Surprising statements

Central issues

Faith alone

Josh Moody

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