Word: paule
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...book by the priest in charge of the Vatican's official case for Pope John Paul II's sainthood is packed with fascinating - and, apparently, meticulously verified - revelations. The one that grabbed most of the headlines was the claim that John Paul whipped himself with a belt, an act of corporal penitence designed to draw the flagellator closer to Christ's suffering, and one that is usually associated with a very distant century, or a Dan Brown novel...
...some members of his close entourage in Poland and in the Vatican were able to hear, John Paul flagellated himself," writes Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the Polish prelate who collected testimony in his role as "postulator" for the Pope's canonization. "In his armoire, amid all the vestments and hanging on a hanger, was a belt which he used as a whip." (See pictures of President Obama meeting Pope Benedict...
...book, Why He Is a Saint, also contains a revelation that puts John Paul in a decidedly more modern light and has much deeper implications for the church's future. Oder confirms lingering rumors that the long ailing Pope had approved plans that would have allowed for his resignation from the papacy for health reasons, effectively ending centuries of papal commitment to lead the church until death...
...According to the book, John Paul on Feb. 15, 1989 signed a document clearing the way for him to step down if necessary. Five years later, suffering from a growing number of ailments, including the lingering effects of a 1981 assassination attempt, the Pope updated details of the procedure "in the case of infirmity which is presumed incurable, long-lasting and which impedes me from sufficiently carrying out the functions of my apostolic ministry." He also charged his then doctrinal chief, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - now known as Pope Benedict XVI - to investigate the implications for the church of having...
...John Paul, as we know, went on to serve for life, despite a very public battle with the debilitating effects of Parkinson's disease. By all accounts, he had all his mental faculties up until his April 2005 death. Still, behind closed doors, top Vatican officials had been debating the implications of John Paul's declining physical condition, including his grave difficulties in speaking. Others have noted that as the Pope became weaker, infighting and maneuvering escalated among some of his deputies. Cardinal Ratzinger never openly questioned John Paul's decision to stay on, though some reports cited his concerns...