Pope John Paul II looks ridiculous. Due to severe illness, Sunday was the first Easter celebration he has missed in 26 years. As he is often unable to talk or move, it's difficult to believe that the pope is the religious leader of over one billion Catholics. But while he might look ridiculous, deep inside, the pope contains volumes of spiritual information. The same goes for Catholicism.
As a Roman Catholic watching the pope languish these past few weeks, I've reflected over what might be the final years of his papacy, and it appears to me that they have been fraught with ignorance.
Many Americans know very little about Catholicism and yet are all too eager to criticize it. Since the United States has long been doused in anti-Catholic Protestantism, and since Catholicism is 10 times older than our nation, we're either bored or careless when it comes to Catholic awareness.
Nowadays, the average non-Catholic probably gets more information from pop culture than from appropriate sources. For instance, I doubt if a passerby on the street could define transubstantiation, explain the Immaculate Conception or tell me what the Holy See is, but undoubtedly he could rattle off facts about exorcism, Opus Dei, or Jay and Silent Bob. Perhaps any publicity is better than none at all, but many people fail to leave verisimilitude in the theaters or between novel covers.
Exorcism, for example, might have made Linda Blair a star, but it's an extremely rare occurrence in the Church. Dan Brown has made millions, but there are no homicidal albinos running around doing cardinals' dirty work, nor is there some extravagant Vatican plot to expunge the descendants of Mary Magdalene from history. And despite what Dogma would have you believe, George Carlin will never be ordained (I hope).
You'd think everyone would have the sense to them more as fiction than fact, and yet the Internet is full of blogs and sites that regard such books and movies as the gospel truth.
When not completely false, creative works about Catholics often focus on the periphery or legends of the Church, not the everyday faith. Sure, it makes for a better movie, but it's not at all representative of modern Catholicism and its adherents.
Mel Gibson's The Passion, however, took a step in the right direction. It was recut and re-released on March 11, but I went to see the original for its historical value. I wanted to hear Jesus speak in His own language; I wanted to see a Virgin Mary who wasn't blue-eyed and fair-skinned; I wanted to view a crucifixion that wasn't rendered inaccurate by modesty. As a Catholic who knows the biblical version inside and out, I was not disappointed by The Passion, but some found it offensive. Nevertheless the movie's insistence on portraying a story that is central to the faith forced viewers and critics alike to seriously revisit Catholicism. And regardless of how pop culture chooses to portray the religion, we are still responsible for doing some homework before casting judgment.
The Catholic faith is highly visible. As such, it is not only easy to point a finger, but also to assume you understand things that you really don't. Additionally, we're not as circumspect with Catholicism as with other religions. Ask anyone to read up on Islam or Kabbalah and they'll gladly oblige since they readily admit to their ignorance. Americans are also careful not to judge or offend such religions. But ask them to read up on Catholicism and they might actually ask, as I was once, "Why? So I can learn to hate everyone?" If an American should be eager to learn about other faiths, why should the Catholic faith be treated differently?
Catholicism is an ancient and complicated religion that spans countless reformations. There's so much to learn that many Catholics admit profound ignorance of their own faith. But learning more about the Church isn't at all difficult.
For starters, devout Catholic Martin Sheen is speaking tonight in Irvine Auditorium. To be honest, Jed Bartlet has given Catholicism some of the more positive publicity it's had in years.
Whether you're Catholic or not, you're welcome to read the Catechism, visit the Penn Newman Catholic Center (Chestnut and 38th) or even attend Mass. If nothing else, it will be an invaluable socio-historical experience.
Learn more about the Catholic faith, and if you still want to criticize the Church, at least you'll know what you're talking about.
Justin Tackett is a sophomore in the College from Pittsburgh. Word! appears on Tuesdays.
