Window to humanistic philosophy
RISE, LET US BE ON OUR WAY: John Paul II; Jonathan Cape, London. Distributed by Rupa & Co., 7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110002.
£ 6.60.
PEOPLE WHO are accustomed to the rather heavy and involved official documents of the present Pope will breathe a sigh of relief reading these pages of this book, marked by enchanting simplicity and candour.
In the book we are able to understand the Pope as he is, a vibrant personality in spite of his advanced age and his experiences as a bishop during the many years of his service in his native Poland and later as Pope in Rome. The book is a sequel to his earlier autobiographical volume, Gift and Mystery narrating his experiences of his early years and his life as a priest. In this volume, the focus is on his service as a bishop.
Reflections
It blends captivating autobiographical narrations with pertinent reflections inspired by the Christian scriptures. The Pope begins by recounting his own vocation as a bishop, signified in the various symbols and insignia used in the ordination ritual such as mitre, crosier and the episcopal ring. He continues the narration on such themes as the leadership of the bishop, his intellectual and pastoral responsibilities, his spiritual fatherhood to the people to whom he is called to serve, the collaboration he needs to foster with other bishops, priests, clergy and the people as a whole, and finally on the courage a bishop needs to demonstrate.
All these questions are dealt with through personalised narrations relating to the concrete way he discharged his episcopal service. In the course of treating these questions, he recalls many persons with whom he has been associated with at various levels and times.
On Mother Teresa
He does not fail to mention Cardinal Ratzinger, known for his many controversial theological views, whom he refers to as "a trusted friend" and Cardinal Martini, former Archbishop of Milan who was considered till recently in the world-press as one of the prospective candidates for papacy to take over the mantle of the present Pope. Mother Teresa and her heroic involvement for the sake of the poorest of the poor find a pride of place in the papal narration.
The book allows us to have an inkling into the struggles the Pope went through as the archbishop of Krakow under the socialist regime of Poland. No wonder that later as the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church with such a large worldwide following, he has been credited as one of the main protagonists in dismantling the communist regimes of the Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Moral leadership
The courage which the Pope calls for in the exercise of episcopal leadership amidst suffering and opposition is nothing but a reflection of his own personal experiences. Tested by fire, he has become one of the sane voices in the world today giving moral leadership which was evident in his unambiguous condemnation of the war on Iraq.
The title, Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way is a direct quote from the New Testament and it refers to the words of Jesus addressed to his disciples in deep slumber on the eve of his impending violent death.
They are words of courage to stand up to the adversities and oppositions in doing one's duty. Are we not reminded of the words of Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the Gita?
Popes in the past have relied heavily on the support of religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church. For example, the order of the Jesuits founded by the Spaniard Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a shot in the arm for the popes in the years following the crisis of Reformation spearheaded by Luther.
Church movements
The present Pope does not make any mention of this order, but seems to see his support in the various movements in the Church such as Neo-catechumenate, Communion and Liberation, Focolare movement, and not the least Opus Dei, which the Pope endowed with special privileges. It is interesting to note that some of these movements, which he refers to appreciatively, are known for their conservative stand and restorative trends and have been surrounded by controversies.
The book is a window to the deep humanistic philosophy of the pontiff which has been characterised as "personalism" with its roots in the thought of the medieval Christian thinker Thomas Aquinas.
It found revival in the neo-scholasticism of the 19th and 20th Centuries. The life of Pope John Paul II is informed by his deeper general philosophy that "no vocation should be wasted because all are valuable and necessary."
This philosophical anthropology of human beings viewed as those who are called to fulfil a certain mission in life — differing according to the various existential situation — is the bedrock of Pope's understanding of his own call as a bishop.
The personal narration about the discharge of his duty as a bishop shows the remarkable degree of his fidelity to his vocation, which he also exhorts to everyone, especially to the bishops.
Though an autobiographical narration and centred on bishops, the scope of the book is much larger and could be read profitably by anyone interested in entering into spiritual maturation through the dutiful performance of one's Dharma.
FELIX WILFRED
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