Remembering a Sometimes Progressive Pope

The complicated legacy of a man who saw both sides of the “culture of life.”

By Marcus Mrowka, George Washington University

Pope John Paul II is dead. The spiritual leader and supreme pontiff of over a billion Roman Catholics has passed on. And he had been publicly eroding for years. First he was shot at and then he developed the early signs of Parkinson’s disease, but he continued to travel the world and celebrate mass until his last days. An energetic and charismatic figure, he also became known as the controversial leader of a divided church.

I wasn’t sure how I would take the news of the pope’s passing. It certainly came as no surprise. But he was a man of many surprises, and a part of me thought he would again shock the world and recover from his latest bout of illness. Instead, Catholics worldwide have begun the nine-day mourning period in accordance with doctrine.

When I found out that the pope had passed, I couldn’t help the tears that swelled up in my eyes. He was the only pope I have ever known. I am a regular churchgoer. I attend mass every Sunday at the Cathedral of St. Matthew’s in Washington, D.C. I always sit in one of the front pews and make sure to talk to our priest at the end of every mass. It seems that in this particular political moment, if I told you only that much about myself you would assume that I was a conservative. But I am not.

I am a proud and dedicated progressive: a strong defender of reproductive choice, gay rights, stem-cell research, women’s rights, and a slew of other positions that would make the likes of Pat Buchanan and Ann Coulter shriek in horror. And I am not alone; many of the parishioners at St. Matthews are also progressives.

In the past few decades, religion has been identified more and more with the conservative right wing of America. The religious left that brought about momentous changes in the mid-20th century is disorganized and almost nonexistent. So it makes sense that conservatives would claim that the pope was on their side. Progressives for the most part have done little to effectively dispute the right’s claim on religion.

So was Pope John Paul II a conservative or a progressive? In fact, he might not fit neatly into America’s perception of either group. What do you call a politician who is anti-choice, anti-gay, against premarital sex, against the use of contraception, opposed to euthanasia and allowing women a larger role in the church, but who is anti-war, anti-poverty, anti-censorship, opposed to the death penalty, a champion of worker’s rights and the poor, and a proponent of international cooperation? By American standards, this would be one confused politician.

Culturally, Pope John Paul II was quite conservative. He often spoke out against abortion, gay rights, pre-marital sex, and stem-cell research. When he came to power, a percentage of Catholic leaders were calling for an end to the ban on celibacy for priests and there was a simultaneous movement brewing to allow women into priesthood. The pope quickly denounced both. John Paul II was very traditional in his views toward the role of women and sexual relations. Though I hesitate to use this as an excuse, how many 84-year-old men born in Poland are ultra-progressive on these issues?

But on the flip side, the pope became an early champion for religious freedom and democracy. He helped lead his homeland of Poland out of communism, advising and secretly funding an opposition movement that wanted to bring democracy to that portion of the Soviet Bloc. He also made huge gains in mending ties between Catholics, Jews and Muslims by apologizing for sins made by the Catholic Church during the crusades and the Holocaust. No other pope had acknowledged previous historical mistakes made by the Catholic Church. The pontiff also spoke to the UN and world leaders about the great need for world cooperation and the need for rich nations to help developing nations.

People may identify the term “culture of life” with conservatives referring to anti-choice policies, but the phrase was originally coined by the pope. The pope did include abortion and sexual morality in his definition of the term, but conservatives often leave out other parts of his definition. The pontiff also included peace, ending the death penalty, supporting the poor and homeless, providing for developing nations, and ensuring that workers receive the pay and benefits they deserve. This side of the “culture of life” could not be more progressive.

John Paul’s legacy may be overshadowed by the conservative positions he took on cultural issues, but progressives should embrace his ideals on social justice and equality. Neither progressives nor conservatives can honestly and fairly claim a hold on the pope’s beliefs or the future of the Catholic Church. Our generation has often been labeled the most tolerant generation in history, especially on cultural issues, so it seems that progress may be the only direction for the Church to move in the future. That gives something for myself and other progressive parishioners at St. Matthew’s to look forward to.

Illustration: Matt Bors