"In Krakow as in the Vatican, Karol Wojtyla flagellated himself," Oder writes in the book, citing testimony from people in the late pope's close entourage while he was bishop in his native Poland and after he was elected pope in 1978.
"In his closet, among his vestments, there was hung on a clothes hanger a particular kind of belt for pants, which he used as a whip," Oder writes.
When he was bishop in Poland, he often slept on the bare floor so he could practice self-denial and asceticism, Oder writes.
Such a bizarre practice. I heard someone jokingly say he beat himself because he never got laid. In reality it may have just been the case. Paul of the New Testament had major sexual hang-ups and he highly recommended men do not defile themselves with women. The church took a very natural thing, sexual desire, and labeled it perverted and for those who entertained it they would be damned. As Jesus said if your eye offends you (saw a beautiful women) you should pluck out your eye so you won't go to an imaginary place called hell. Now if you think you can just masturbate he condemns that as well. If you hand offends you cut it off. Don't use your foot either (Mark 9:42-48).
The prophet of my old Church, the Seventh Day Adventist, wrote that you must avoid the evil of self-pleasure because it would destroy your kidneys. So far I have never heard or read of the medical profession backing up that claim.
This trying to suppress something natural brings about unnatural response such as the infamous sexual abuse done by Catholic priest.
Monotheists twist natural biology. Sound familiar?
I don't think it makes you a saint by keeping yourself backed up your whole life. However the Church thinks otherwise. They want to sainthood him. But he needs a miracle to lock that in.
The next step will be the recognition of a miracle attributed to John Paul. It involves a French nun who was inexplicably cured of Parkinson's disease after praying to him.
Am sure they will find people to lie about it. Twisting the truth? Happens all the time.
According to dictionary.com Flagellated also means: "producing filiform runners or runnerlike branches, as the strawberry."
ReplyDeleteI thought this was an interesting meaning of the word. No doubt the Pope is punishing and whipping himself, but perhaps if he does it enough, small little Popes will begin to sprout off of him. This would be his only chance to reproduce.
I am envisioning a Dr. Octopus type character here, with arms all over the place with tiny Pope's heads on the end.... weird...
Now that would be a cool miracle. Sainthood guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteAlso a great sci-fi movie.