I mentioned above that Benedict XVI favours the idea of beginning the canonization process of John Paul II. Anyone who knows Mystical Theology will remember some of these events from the history of the saints.
St. Teresa of Avila:
- She said that she rather live with a scholar than a saint, because saints were temperamental and difficult to live with.
- She was famous for browbeating her nuns and friars into submission. She dismissed John of the Cross as her confessor and spiritual director.
- Was canonized and made a Doctor of the Church
Alphonsus Ligouri:
- Founded the Redemptorists.
- Was later dismissed from the Congregation because he was obnoxious and lost his temper every time the clerics changed something in the rule, even though Church Law said that the General Chapter has the authority to modify and interpret the rule of the a religious congregation of Pontifical Right.
- He was canonized and made a Doctor of the Church
Francis of Assisi:
- After his term as Superior General and a new Superior General was elected he overruled the new Superior, which is not allowed by Church Law and by the Constitution of the Order.
- When Brother Elias, his successor, allowed the Brothers to build a library and a house Francis climbed on the roof and tore off the shingles one by one and had to be physically stopped.
- Forbade those Brothers who were priests from using the title Father. The prohibition was later rescinded by a Pope and has since been put back into force. Now the Franciscans can no longer call themselves Franciscan Fathers, but must use Franciscan Brothers or Franciscan Friars.
- Prohibited the ordination of priests except for the use of the community.
- To this day, Franciscan Friars who are priests may only serve in ministries that are approved by their major superior, regardless of what the Bishop wants. Canon Law protects their right to do so. Most lay people don’t know this.
- He eventually decided that he would not live in the friary and moved to a cave in Mt. Laverna where he died.
- The Church canonized him and gave him the title MIRROR OF PERFECTION.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta:
- Would browbeat her sisters.
- Accepted a donation of money that had been stolen. When she found out that the money had been stolen she refused to give it back on the grounds that it had been used for the poor and she had not stolen it. Which was true, she was innocent of the theft; but it ruffled many feathers.
- Made a public statement that she was happy for Princess Diana that she was out of a bad marriage that made the Princess very happy. She did not commit a sin, but ruffled many feathers.
- When the Archbishop of New York gave her sisters a house for their work and mother Teresa arrived for the consecration of the house, she had the sisters tear out the carpeting, throw out all of the furniture that the Archbishop had paid for. It was all dumped into a back alley behind the house. She did not commit a sin, but it ruffled the Archbishop’s feathers.
- She has been beatified and a dispensation was given to accelerate the canonization.
Blessed William Chaminade:
- Founded the Marianists Brothers.
- Allowed some Brothers to become priests.
- Prohibited any Brother who is a priest from holding any office of authority in the congregation.
- Ordered the congregation to keep the number of priests to a minimum.
- The Church asked him to allow the priests to take over parish ministries. He declined. He said that his brothers were to engage in education and that his priests were for the needs of the congregation and of their schools. The Vatican accepted, even though bishops were asking for more priests.
- He has been beatified.
Peter:
- Denied Jesus three times and is made the Shepherd of the universal church and Vicar of Jesus Christ.
Regardless of what John Paul II may have done or not done. None of it is a sin or points to a sinful life.
Benedict XVI is not only a good man, but also a good theologian. He knows the difference between sinfulness and the personality of mystics. It is not secret that John Paul II was a mystic and that mystics can be very difficult to deal with, because their actions are often a result of their deeper union with God which is not always explainable.
Mystical Theology would support that John Paul II was definitely a mystic and Benedict the XVI, though not a Mystical Theologican hismelf, is surrounded by very good ones.
Let’s stop defending Archbishop Lefebvre at the expense of John Paul II. That’s not charitable. Those who want to defend the Archibishop may do so, but on his own merits, not at the expense of another person’s reputation and saintliness.
Please don’t tell me that it’s the right of the laity to discern a person’s saintliness, because it’sn not. That’s whay the Church has a commission for the causes of saints.
JR