The Pope beats himself up for his failings: Unfortunately they're the wrong failings

Making the news is the allegation that "Pope John Paul II used to beat himself with a belt and sleep naked on the floor to bring himself closer to Christ." according to the book Why he is a Saint: The True story of John Paul I, by a "Vatican Insider" with the unlikely name of Slawomir Oder. This unusual and masochistic behavior is explained as a positive thing. The Pope wrote, "In bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ." David Gibson, a former Vatican radio journalist, defends this self-abuse: "John Paul was a product of a very Old World Polish Catholicism... He was a very disciplined man and a very rigorous man in his personal spirituality."

The revelation comes because there is now a concerted effort to make John Paul II a saint. He is being fast tracked along with Mother Teresa (another self-flagellator) by the present Pope Benedict who it is said hopes to see both raised to sainthood before he dies. The book hopes that people will see this behavior as somehow saintly. For those of us who aren't Old-World Polish Catholic the behavior is compared to other forms of sacrifice. David Gibson says, "The idea of fasting, renouncing something, giving up your Starbucks latte so you can send money to Haiti -- you can't simply look down your nose at [self-flagellation] without rejecting a lot of other ideas about self-sacrifice."

Now giving up Starbucks to send money to Haiti actually accomplishes something, it sends money to Haiti, for one, whereas whacking yourself in the back with a special belt accomplishes, well, nothing. If it somehow brought the Pope closer to Christ it still did nothing for those who suffer in the world.

Cognitive dissonance is the process whereby people believe two entirely different things at the same time, and see no contradiction in their beliefs. In this case the dissonance arises when we consider the Pope's behavior as applied to almost anyone else in the world. We would see it as a sign of mental illness, and hope the afflicted person would seek medical help.

According to Wikipedia Self-harm is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) as a symptom of borderline personality disorder. The motivations for self-harm vary and may be used to fulfill a number of different functions. These functions include self-harm being used as a coping mechanism which provides temporary relief of intense feelings such as anxiety, depression, stress, emotional numbness and a sense of failure or self-loathing. Self-harm is often associated with a history of trauma and abuse including emotional abuse, sexual abuse, drug dependence, eating disorders, or mental traits such as low self-esteem or perfectionism. There is also a positive statistical correlation between self-harm and emotional abuse.

The Roman Catholic Church calls this "mortification of the flesh" which means "putting the flesh to death." It is defended by theologians as a worthy practice, and many who engaged in self-flagellation, scourging (with a many headed whip to induce bleeding) and extreme fasting are considered to be saints today. I recommend reading up on the lives of saints here, for an idea of how extreme these acts can be, and for how easily we can accept these acts of self-abuse in people we take to be "holy."

One example:

During the later part of the nineteenth century, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, another Doctor of the Church, at three years of age was described by her mother: "Even Thérèse is anxious to practice mortification.” And Thérèse later wrote: "My God, I will not be a saint by halves. I am not afraid of suffering for Thee.” The "Little Flower", famous for her "little way" and love of God—fasted and used the 'discipline' vigorously, "scourging herself with all the strength and speed of which she was capable, smiling at the crucifix through the tears which bedewed her eyelashes," according to one of her biographers.

Three years old and eager to practice mortification. No one helped this little girl. She tortured herself and wasted her life, and was used as an example of how to be holy.

Pope John Paul II had a lot to feel guilty about. He presided over a church that tacitly condoned and actively covered up child rape and abuse. He sat on a throne worth billions of dollars, collecting money from the the ignorant, the deceived and the delusional, and gave back false words of empty hope. He promoted the spread of AIDs in Africa, Haiti and countless other countries. In plain point of fact he deserved every self-inflicted belt-strap to his back, every cold night of sleep on the hard floor. Too bad that all his self-inflicted pain did nothing but add more misery to a world that has too much already when he could have so easily brought welcome relief.

He will be a "Saint" in word only.