Dear Lee:

In my opinion, the sin of rash judgment is one of the greatest sins of modern times. With all due respect I know you mean well, but your post here is a grand illustration of rash judgment.

The Catechism states:

2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:

- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;

Your post tacitly implies that I am committing the sin of idolatry. This is hardly true and is quite offensive. In addition, you misinterpret both the phrase "living saint" and the Church's position on private opinion concerning person who might be saints.

Let us begin with the phrase "living saints." This phrase does not necessarily have anything to do with the issue of whether or not a person will someday be a Canonized Saint.

There are many people who are "living saints" who will never be Canonized. In fact, we all better be living saints since only saints go to heaven. We are each and every one called by Christ and His Church to be living saints.

Secondly, in terms of offering an opinion about a person who might be declared a saint, the Church does not prohibit opinions on the subject. It does warn about presuming a person will for certain be canonized and history proves the danger in that.

My opinion is that Pope John Paul II will most likely be canonized a saint, be made a Doctor of the Church, and will be labeled by historians as John Paul the Great. This is "opinion" not a judgment. I defer to the Church for a judgment on the matter.

In addition, my opinion is NOT based on some starry-eyed popolatry groupie-ism. I loath groupies. If you knew me at all you would realize just how silly that accusation really is. I have been called many things and many of them deserved, but a groupie is a characterization that has never been applied to me. I have never been a groupie to anyone or anything nor is it in my personality to be one. I do not give such adulation to anyone, not even the pope.

My opinion is also not based on rash judgment. It is based upon reasoned assessment of the life, works, and pontificate of the man and the contribution he has made to the Church and the People of God in historical comparison to the life and works of people who have been canonized Saints.

My opinion, however, is mere opinion. Who knows? once the Church investigates the cause for John Paul II they may find that he is disqualified for canonized Sainthood for some reason. That is a decision for the Church. I gladly accept whatever the Church decides. 

Even if John Paul II is not canonized, it does not diminish that he was a living saint in the normal sense (unless one wishes to assert that he is hell-bound) and that his contributions to the Church and the People of God were significant. It also does not mean that he is a Saint in heaven once he dies. It would only mean that he is not canonized and thus we do not know for sure.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary