The group then lists a series of complaints about John Paul's pontificate:
the "repression and marginalization" of controversial theologians;
the movement away from collegiality in Church governance;
the unwillingness to engage in "real and serious debate about the status of women in the Roman Catholic Church;"
the opposition to "a reconsideration-- in the light of the Gospel, science, and history-- of certain norms of sexual ethics;"
the adherence to the discipline of clerical celibacy--which, the statement said, continues despite the evidence that many priests in some geographical regions live with women, and the sexual abuse of children in other regions;
the lack of control over Church financial institutions, leading to the banking scandals of the 1980s;
the "ecclesial isolation" of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the failure to support the theology of liberation in Latin America."

Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwiszof Krakow, who served as the late Pope's personal secretary, was more openly dismissive of the protest. "In principle, one should ignore these attacks," said the Polish archbishop. "You only have to look at the list of people signing the appeal to be reassured about the process of beatification."

# posted by Squach : 6:44 PM   |