Sanctified
Apr 16, 2014, 12:00 PM | Updated: 12:00 pm
During this, the holiest of weeks for the Christian world, Jesus must be pleased at all the positive attention one of his churches is receiving, especially considering the negative image the Catholic Church has dealt with for the last few years.
But the new pope, the most popular Francis since Sinatra, has personally captured the hearts and minds of the faithful, and some not-so-faithful, around the world.
Last Sunday, “60 Minutes” devoted two complete segments to this humbly charismatic Jesuit from Argentina. A rabbi spoke of him with love, the president spoke of him with respect and a Vatican reporter spoke of him in terms of the great stories he generates.
Soon it will be time to shine a celestial light on two other popes. John XXIII and John Paul II are to be canonized as new saints of the church on April 27.
How splendid it would be if Francis would make one more progressive change for future canonizations: Do away with the archaic demand that there be two miracles attached to those who would be saints.
The human qualities of John and John Paul should have been enough to qualify. Let miraculous superstitions be a part of the old Catholic Church.
I’m Pat McMahon.