Unbelievable--it would seem--except for the fact that John Paul II did believe. With the easiness and simplicity of his words--hackneyed without the belief behind them--he took on the Supreme Court, the political machine, the Playboy Corporation, all the racists and sexists and economic and social oppressors in a breath. But there were no practical methods, no formulae or ten-point programs. None were needed. Who can reveal the method of falling in love?
That there is still poverty, starvation, fear, anxiety, doubt, oppression, hate, horror and evil in America the morning after his departure is no trifle of John Paul's. It is his horror. And today, the evil which the Pope addressed no longer threatens "to take over the world," as he understated--it is destroying it.
With every passing day, with each breaking tragedy, the visceral source of Christianity--of almost any religious faith--becomes more distant, yet more dear and alluring. And perhaps a society which has relegated the doctrine of love to its churches and temples and books can no longer afford to be so sure of itself. Science and technology have taught us so much, the Pope acknowledged almost wryly--so much in good and bad. How close are we--at this moment--beneath the desert and in submarines, in mental hospitals and in the nuclear core, to creating Hell?
So the Pope stands humbly in his prolific robes, offering a wager:
"Real Love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not clearly tell you so...do not be afraid of honest effort and honest work; do not be afraid of truth. With Christ's help, and through prayer, you can answer his call, resisting temptations and fads and every form of mass manipulation. Open your hearts to the Christ of the Gospels--to his love and his truth and his joy. Do not go away sad!"
HOW MANY TIMES have you heard this on a cheap transistor radio at six in the morning, accompanied by "soul revival" hits? Well, no one sold tickets to the Pope, and you couldn't hear his words through mail order only. He offered it. And what if you refused?
You're forgiven, America, but you may never know it.