The Pope as Celebrity and Cult Figure (Book Notes: The Pontiff in Winter)
In The Pontiff in Winter: Triumph and Conflict in the Reign of John Paul II, John Cornwell writes:
John Paul has revealed his personality in theatrical displays that have enraptured and beguiled his huge audiences. Exploiting modern broadcast communications to their fullest extent, his omnipresence and monopoly of the limelight have reduced within his Church all other authority, all other holiness (unless dead), all other comparisons, voices, images, talents, and virtues.
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A token of the soaring cult of his personality: In his native Poland, most churches now have on prominent show an outsize statue of John Paul. As a Polish correspondent to the international Catholic weekly "The Tablet" noted at Christmas 2003: "To my knowledge no other public figure has had so many statues erected in his lifetime, except Joseph Stalin."
The pope is supposed to be a symbol of unity for the entire Christian community, Catholic and non-Catholic, but what happens when the symbol becomes larger and more important than the community itself? John Paul II is dead now, so people have to focus on a new pope, but the calls to make him a saint have been impossible to ignore — the Vatican has already agreed to put his case on a "fast track." If he becomes a saint, he will be placed in a position that may continue to outshine his successors.
It is certainly true that such a powerful figure can help the unity of a church, but such a powerful figure can also harm the church because it takes attention away from where it is presumably more needed from the Catholic perspective: the current pope, current issues, current bishops, and naturally God as well. These are all the reasons why idolatry is forbidden in Western monotheistic religions — and idolatry can occur with people as the object, not just inanimate objects.
There was a purpose behind drawing a parallel between the statues of John Paul II and the statues of Stalin (aside from the fact that it must have been true): Stalin was treated in a manner more like a god than like a human being and Poles appeared to be doing the same with the pope. Unfortunately, John Paul II was so popular as a person that any discussion about people putting him too high on a pedestal can't be readily entertained. Serious engagement with this issue may not be possible until more critical distance can be developed — and that, in turn, probably won't happen until after a couple of generations have passed.
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Comments
Want some confirmation of how much of a cult figure John Paul II was - and still is? Tune in to EWTN, the “Global Catholic Network.” Although not a Catholic myself, I’ve tuned in occasionally; and I can tell you that even when he was still in relative vigor, some EWTN hosts were starting to call him John Paul the Great. I once commented to a friend that EWTN’s “holy trinity” seemed to be Jesus, Mary and JPII. Even now, whenever he’s mentioned on the network - which is still quite often - a lot of the time, he’s still “The Great.” And although there’s a “new guy” on the Vatican throne, I still see more JPII than Benedict XVI.
Pope John Paul II became a symbol of hope for more than a billion people, something few people in world history can claim. He was a gift to the past century, shared by almost all. It is quite doubtful that any successor in the next century will be as charismatic in person or telegenic.
Bishops come in several varieties, but the most common are the administrative type, followed by the pastoral type, followed by the missionary type. JPII was unique in that he combined superlative skills in the latter two.
No, he didn’t hurt the Church. The Church goes on, often despite herself. The current pope is a brilliant theologian (much more readable than JPII). The next pope is likely to be a missionary from a poorer country.
Despite the last 25 years, the Church is much bigger than the man on St. Peter’s throne.