Writes Martin DeSantis: “I managed to wake up and watch the Pope’s funeral. The events of this entire week have been making me think about history, war, peace, economics, religion, love, and the state.
“My faith in humanity has returned, particularly for the Europeans. We hear so much gloating, mostly from the neocons, about the secular and atheistic Europeans and how degenerate they are. It’s true they don’t go to Mass as much as they should. But, when push came to shove, they arrived en masse for an unprecedented assembly. They still know what greatness is. They did rise to the occasion. Apparently they are not so degenerate. There is clearly a sense of yearning and spirituality within the West that is not overtly religious. I think this is a byproduct of the history of religious wars and the trauma of the wars of the last century and the Cold War. They don’t trust organized religion. This is a conundrum that the next pope is going to have to deal with – how to bring them back.
“We hear so much about the falling birthrates in Europe, also from the neocons, who are smug in their supposed superiority. This is a phenomenon commonly seen in countries with high living standards and is amplified by high taxes, not morality. They are no worse than us. Americans are supposedly so much more religious, yet what good does it do? The religious right in America is the most pro-war.“As the state continues to lose its prominence in the world, the Catholic Church will become even more relevant than it is now. ‘The First World Leader’ by Timothy Garton Ash from Tuesday was brilliant in expressing the importance of moral globalization. The Church is better equipped for this than any other organization. Why is this?
“My father’s family comes from the Marche region in Italy, which was right in the middle of the former Papal State. My grandfather told me that the worst beating he ever received in his life was from a priest. He had been playing with a friend and they damaged the priest’s fig tree. They were in big trouble. Yet no one later had the courage to challenge the priest for punishing my grandfather and his friend. This was in the early 20th century after the unification. Yet the Church still had enough temporal power to get away with such things and the people didn’t challenge it. One can only imagine how bad it must have been in the heyday of Papal power.
“But today it is different. I believe it is because the Church is no longer a powerful state. The Lateran Treaty was in the long run the best thing that could have happened to the Church. To gain eternal life, you must give up life. To gain the world, you must lose the world. The Church is no longer a territorial monopolist. Now it can remain focused on its true mission of being a moral and spiritual beacon. It is no coincidence that this biggest funeral in history was interrupted by cheers of “Santo!” and “Giovanni Paolo!” that could have gone on for hours. How refreshing it was to see humbled so many egotistic politicians, many of whom would resort to anything to leave a mark on history. How refreshing to see them realize that they will never achieve such greatness and inspire such love.
“With all of the commentary on TV, we don’t hear one important thing that the next pope is going to have to deal with. That is how to handle America, which is the world’s biggest menace to peace. The neocons are in for a big disappointment because no pope can go along with their plans. The next pope will be younger, healthier, and will more energetically serve as a messenger for peace.
“Even the Muslims were impressed with the last pope. I believe their religion is inherently intolerant. But, like Mises says, history is guided by human action. Humans are not programmed automata and can change their attitudes and behavior. Continued dialogue, mutual self-respect, and economic growth will eventually open up even the Muslim heart. A tincture of time will cure all – that is, if Bush and the neocons don’t blow it. Otherwise, we may end up with a cataclysmic disaster.
“That which is loved endures. The people loved John Paul because he was a leader, not a ruler. The next pope will be similarly loved, as will the Papacy.
“I hope you don’t mind the rambling thoughts. For the first time in my life, I understand what it is to be a Christian. Your website was vital in that.”
10:31 am on April 8, 2005
