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THE NYTIMES, NATCH, [K. J. Lopez] took a very different message from the pope's final days than I did; from their editorial: The death of Pope John Paul II came at a time when Americans have been engaged in an unusual moment of national reflection about mortality. The long, bitter fight over the unknowing Terri Schiavo was a stark contrast to the passing of this pontiff, whose own mind was keenly aware of the gradual failure of his body. The pope would certainly never have wanted his own end to be a lesson in the transcendent importance of allowing humans to choose their own manner of death. But to some of us, that was the exact message of his dignified departure. Posted at 11:05 PM CHRIS MATTHEWS, BTW, [K. J. Lopez] only got worse as the night wore on. I will avoid MSNBC during the coming days, to spare you and maybe my soul (from another black mark, anyway). Posted at 10:50 PM THERE GOES THAT FR. MCBRIEN AGAIN [K. J. Lopez ] I just got chastised by my favorite Notre Dame professor for “conviently” forgetting that the pope condemned the war in Iraq—on a canned piece on ABC, he snidely noted “conservatives” selective memories re: PJPII, because we dig his sex talk (abortion, etc.) but ignore his war scolds. I’ve of course been hearing this all day, that the pope adamantly disagreed with President Bush over Iraq, that he believed it to be an unjust war. Not so, though. We’ve been through this before in The Corner. I refer you to a Peter Robinson-driven thread from December. The pope never condemned the war in Iraq. He said peace is a good thing. He said war should be a last resort. As any reasonable person would expect him to. He did not say, President Bush, you’re wrong. (More Corner on this point here and here.) Posted at 10:40 PM SOME OF PJPII'S FAVORITE [K. J. Lopez] prayers. Posted at 10:39 PM IF YOU NEED A COUNTER TO "NEWS" CROWING ABOUT PJPII'S BACKWARD THINKING ON WOMEN [K. J. Lopez] Read the man himself on the dignity and vocation of women. As Kate mentioned yesterday, he was a man who lost his mother at a young age and probably because of that early absence, had a deep devotion to Mary, a special appreciation for women, the importance of femininity (as a gift), and the vocation of motherhood, women and nurturers of life. And, of course, his "new feminism" talk. Here's a list of cool links. Here's Fr. Neuhaus in NR. Posted at 09:39 PM TEACHING THROUGH HIS LAST DAYS [K. J. Lopez ] Much has been and will be said about Pope John Paul’s most recent silent teaching—his lessons from his example of his own suffering: How to live, how to die. To respect all human life, even when sickly. I think also when you realize that he did not go to the hospital this week it was another specific lesson by example--and a striking one this week of all weeks. He took his antibiotics, he had a feeding tube, and had doctors on hand treating him, but his situation was grave and he didn’t opt for any extra (read: extraordinary?) care that, perhaps, might have given him a few more days. We’re not to be absolutists, but realists who are called to be protectors of this amazing gift we’ve been given—human life. Posted at 09:18 PM RE: EVANGELICALS AND THE POPE [K. J. Lopez] That's a great point, Ramesh. And, I think the president's committment to a "culture of life" (however much Anna Quindlen hates the phrase) is a rich tribute. We'll keep reading and hearing that the pope lost Americans on sexuality/abortion/etc. but seems it would seem not as much as some in the media and among the more, ahem, "open-minded" in the Catholic Church would prefer. Posted at 08:48 PM JPII [Shannen Coffin] I have struggled all day with what to say, whether to write a column or just remain silent. The words are all being spoken by others more eloquent than I. But for many, we have lost a spiritual father. In my case, three quarters of my life has been spent at the feet of John Paul II. I was a pre-teen when he was chosen to shepard the Church, and I remember little of his predecessors, just childhood snapshots. I had the good fortune of being in an audience with him at Xavier University in New Orleans in 1987, along with 500 or so others. Also in his earlier appearance at the Super Dome, which was rocking more than any Super Bowl ever played there. His commitment to faith was inspirational to billions of people. And his commitment to the protection of life was unparalled. I have little worries of what will happen next for him. But for me and for the Church, I pray that we have the wisdom to find a successor as marvelous as he. Rest in the peace of Christ, Karol Wojtyla. Posted at 08:44 PM EVANGELICALS AND THE POPE [Ramesh Ponnuru] I keep getting press releases over email from evangelical congressmen mourning the death of John Paul II. Their praise is not just a tribute to the way he, to borrow the unfortunate phrase I've heard twice now on tv, "transcended his religion." It is evidence of how the political struggle over abortion has reconfigured American religion, making possible first joint political action and then joint theological reflection that would have been unimaginable before. Posted at 08:30 PM THESE POOR PEOPLE [K. J. Lopez] Terri Schiavo's remains were cremated today, despite her parents pleading that her body be buried. What a gracious statement that family made on the day of her death. God bless them. Posted at 07:38 PM AND THE VATICAN WEBSITE [K. J. Lopez] has up a tour of his papacy, with audio and texts. Posted at 07:26 PM ON THE PAPAL VACANCY [K. J. Lopez] by PJPII Posted at 07:24 PM JP2: A REMEMBRANCE (OF SORTS) [Cliff May] “El Papa Viene!” That was the headline in the local newspapers about a quarter century ago when a new and very vigorous Pontiff paid his first visit to Mexico. I was a young and inexperienced foreign correspondent living in Mexico City and I somehow found myself on the team covering the visit for CBS News Radio. And I got one plum assignment: I was asked to do a live, color commentary as Pope John Paul II arrived at the Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico’s holiest shrine. A sound truck was stationed near the church, along the route he was scheduled to take and I perched on top of the truck ready to tell the world what the Pope looked like, the crowd’s reactions, whatever happened. But just as I got on the air, something went wrong: The Pope-mobile wasn’t going the right way. I couldn’t see a thing. Where was he? I was reduced to reciting the radio equivalent of B-copy: “Pope John Paul the Second has arrived here at the Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico’s holiest shrine and thousands of Mexicans have gathered to see …Pope John Paul the Second, here at the Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico’s holiest shrine …” I was dying! This was the end of my career! And then: A miracle happened. The Pope-mobile turned sharply. It was coming right toward me. I could see – and describe – John Paul’s every gesture. I could hear the shouts of the crowd – everything they were saying. There was color and drama, and I was conveying it to all the folks out there in Radio-land. I was saved! Later, my producer (Tony Brunton, if memory serves) was to tell me how pleased he had been with my coverage. Listeners had written and phoned in to say they could hear the genuine excitement and enthusiasm in my voice. How wonderful, they added, that CBS had assigned such a good Catholic boy to the story. I just smiled. Posted at 07:12 PM FROM THE VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE [K. J. Lopez] (Website here, this from an English-language e-mail): SUMMARY: THE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL II Posted at 06:50 PM FINAL FOUR [K. J. Lopez] Pope John Paul II said Mass at Edward Jones Dome in 1999, where the Final Four is being played right now. Posted at 06:46 PM SAY IT AIN'T SO [K. J. Lopez] Chris Matthews is in Rome. He just argued with a young theology-professor priest about clerical celibacy. I can only imagine what will come. I'll try to avoid it. Posted at 06:34 PM POPESTAKES [Rick Brookhiser] For next pontiff, either an Italian (the cautious option) or an African (the high roller option). Posted at 06:31 PM BROOKHISER ON JPII [K. J. Lopez] from his Observer column, a few weeks ago. Posted at 06:21 PM "LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP" [K. J. Lopez] Though he was "Kennedy" like in his ability to energize, this pope ticked American Catholics off because of he was so "conservative and inflexible," according to the NYTimes. Posted at 06:00 PM DESPITE MY IN-BOX, EXPANSIVE AMEN CORNER [K. J. Lopez] An e-mail: I'm an atheist; the notion of a diety, to me, is an absurdity. But whatever my belief, or yours, this Pope was a great, great, man and we shall all miss his moral stature. He spoke for goodness and the dignity of humanity in a way that transcended matters of faith so it would be understood as universal truths. We should consider ourself extremely lucky to see anyone like him again in our lifetime. Posted at 05:56 PM I REALLY NEED TO TURN IT OFF [K. J. Lopez] It was just pointed out to me that the aforementioned Christiane earlier said that John Paul II was "the first non-Catholic" to be selected pope. Then Shep Smith on Fox referred to St. Matthew's Cathedral (in D.C.) as St. Patrick's. Another reporter on CNN earlier called the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington as Washington’s National Cathedral (the latter isn’t Catholic). Paula Zahn a few minutes ago called President Bush the “pope.” The list could go on. Cardinal McCarrick was called Fr. McCormick on CNN, also. Goodness knows I make many, many mistakes. However I’m pretty confident everyone at NR gets paid less than any of the above and has a tremendously smaller staff backing them up. Posted at 05:55 PM ANOTHER NICE CATCH [K. J. Lopez] from the Anchoress: I wish folks could have seen Keith Olberman last night. Someone read to him a passage from JPII's masterwork on the Theology of the Body, in which he writes about the importance of sexual fulfillment, and Olberman was both blushing and confounded. "There is no area he hasn't touched on, seemingly," he marvelled. "Reading material for Fr. McBrien. Posted at 05:37 PM LECH WALESA & OTHERS [K. J. Lopez] EWTN's website has a collection of remembrances. (It also has a map of what happens next.) Posted at 05:30 PM "ALWAYS, THE POPE POINTS US TO THE THINGS THAT LAST AND THE LOVE THAT SAVES. WE THANK GOD FOR THIS RARE MAN, A SERVANT OF GOD AND A HERO OF HISTORY. [K. J. Lopez] The speech President Bush delivered at the dedication of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center right by my alma mater Catholic U in D.C. is here. Posted at 05:27 PM "PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE FALL OF COMMUNISM AND THE DEMOCRATIC TRANSFORMATION THAT SWEPT EUROPE" [K. J. Lopez] Condi Rice: I am deeply saddened by the death of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II. The pontiff was a world statesman whose leadership played a key role in the fall of Communism and the democratic transformation that swept Europe in its wake. In the 26 years of his papacy, Pope John Paul II's advocacy for human rights and human dignity never wavered. The wisdom and universality of his teaching will continue to guide all of us who, like Pope John Paul II, believe in freedom and faith. Posted at 05:23 PM "NEED SOME QUOTE FROM SUPPORTER" [K. J. Lopez] Do you really have to look that hard? Maybe if you're at the NYTimes? Posted at 05:20 PM MATTHEW 19:14 [K. J. Lopez] Rick Santorum: Karen and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to meet the Pope on five separate occasions, three of which we were privileged to receive mass from him in his personal chapel. On one occasion, six years ago, Karen and I, and our children met the Pope in his personal chapel. As we received mass, we were struck by the fervor in which Pope John Paul II prayed. As he knelt at the altar, he deeply and intensely involved himself in prayer. Posted at 05:14 PM THE CONCLAVE [K. J. Lopez] I've heard Cardinal McCarrick of D.C. say this a few times now: apparently there are three who voted for this pope who will vote for the next, one of them is former D.C. archbishop William Cardinal Baum. Posted at 05:02 PM THANK YOU, SISTER ANNE [K. J. Lopez] I evidently missed last night's angry nun on CNN (who was exactly thhe woman I've been expecting to see). Posted at 04:45 PM COOL-SOUNDING BLOGGING SISTAS [K. J. Lopez] Here and here. I'm an instafan. Posted at 04:38 PM "THE MORAL FORCE BEHIND VICTORY IN THE COLD WAR" [K. J. Lopez] Lady Thatcher today on Pope Jon Paul II: We should remember Pope John Paul II not just as the greatest Pope of modern times but also as a valiant fighter for the truth," she said. Posted at 04:35 PM "ONE OF HISTORY'S GREAT MORAL LEADERS" [K. J. Lopez] Here's President Bush's full statement: Laura and I join people across the Earth in mourning the passing of Pope John Paul II. The Catholic Church has lost its shepherd, the world has lost a champion of human freedom, and a good and faithful servant of God has been called home. Posted at 04:33 PM THE FLAG TREATMENT [K. J. Lopez] This just in from the White House, from the president: As a mark of respect for His Holiness Pope John Paul II, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half‑staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on the day of his interment. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half‑staff for the same period at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations. Posted at 04:29 PM FYI [K. J. Lopez ] I’m getting more than a few e-mails from readers annoyed we’re covering the pope’s death. So I'll warn you: They’ll be more coming. Posted at 04:22 PM ST. PETER'S SQUARE [K. J. Lopez] Besides EWTN, there's Vatican TV online. Posted at 04:18 PM IT HASN'T BEEN AN HOUR [K. J. Lopez ] And CNN (Christiane Amanpour) is already talking about the pope's backward views on condoms and celibacy. I should have turned the TV off when Ledeen complained. At least they don't have a dissident nun on the scene yet. I'll take comfort in small blessings. Posted at 04:15 PM GEORGE WEIGEL [K. J. Lopez] Spare yourself some of the TV coverage. If you want to read up on Pope John Paul II (a number of you have asked for reading suggestions) dip into George Weigel's Witness to Hope. It's the biography, and a rich one. Posted at 04:11 PM YOU’RE KIDDING ME, RIGHT? [K. J. Lopez ] I caught a few minutes of Religion and Ethics Newsweekly this morning on PBS and Fr. Richard McBrien of Notre Dame was on and said that Pope John Paul II’s “Achilles heel” was human sexuality. You have got to think Fr. McBrien is selective in his readings of the Holy Father. Evangelium Vitae, the Theology of the Body, Love and Responsibility. I don’t think his teaching or grasp on the importance of was the problem… Posted at 04:08 PM "A HERO FOR THE AGES" [K. J. Lopez] President Bush on Pope John Paul II at the White House right now (watch it here, on video). Posted at 04:04 PM ON THE SCENE [K. J. Lopez ] By the way, your best shot at hearing the prayers in the Vatican City right now seems to be EWTN, which was doping talk earlier, but seems to be praying now. Posted at 04:01 PM MAN, LEDEEN! [K. J. Lopez ] You don't want to hear Shep instead? Apparently Fox (etc.) thinks you're in the minority. Man, I hope not. Posted at 04:00 PM IN THE VATICAN CITY [Michael Ledeen] It is utterly infuriating, almost maddening, to try to watch the Rosary at St Peter's, because the accursed tv people just will not ever let us watch an event. They must tell us what to think about it, even as it is happening. And so we lose a sense of the real drama, we just cannot experience it for ourselves, they will always be there between us and real life. Which is why I don't watch tv...I went down to see if anyone would just broadcast it, but there isn't... Posted at 03:57 PM WHAT NEXT? [K. J. Lopez ] The Teaching Company has two lectures on the papal succession process online. Posted at 03:49 PM HE LIVED THE SPLENDOR OF TRUTH [K. J. Lopez] Here's Tom Hibbs on John Paul the Great. Posted at 03:35 PM GEORGE WEIGEL ON PJPII [K. J. Lopez] An interview, here. Posted at 03:31 PM PAPAL PICTURES [K. J. Lopez] There are a lot of telling images of the man, but this one has always been my favorite, meeting with and forgiving his would-be assassin: ![]() Posted at 03:11 PM GOODBYE IL PAPA [Jonah Goldberg] What a glorious man. We won't see another like him and let us hope we won't need another like him as much as we needed him. Posted at 03:03 PM KAROL WOJTYLA, 1920-2005 [K. J. Lopez] Ap/NBC and others are reporting Pope John Paul II has died. R.I.P. and thank you. Posted at 02:57 PM LIBERALS RESPOND CONT'D [Jonah Goldberg] Here's a more favorable note:
Posted at 02:55 PM PJPII COVERAGE [K. J. Lopez] The smart, spirited Anchoress is "liveblogging" cable coverage. Posted at 02:50 PM LIBERALS RESPOND [Jonah Goldberg] Quite a few have chimed in along these lines. I think they offer a fair complaint. The problem, of course, is that whenever one begins a sentence "liberals think" or "conservatives believe" you are automatically being unfair to some liberals and some conservatives because neither camp is ideologically or intellectuallyhomogeneous. Anyway, the email: Jonah-- Your correspondent says that liberals want a "more equal" world. But it's not true. He can't cite any Democrats saying so, just Thomas Sowell. In fact, liberals want greater equality of opportunity. Posted at 02:50 PM LARRY SUMMERS, PRESSING HIS LUCK [K. J. Lopez ] A certain under-fire Harvard president just made me a lot less willing to come to his defense (I'm sure this is his main worry in life): He’s got an op-ed today in the Boston Globe hailing the statehouse embrace of cloning. It’s of course not exactly a surprise, and is also a smart attempt to keep money flowing into Harvard, despite his problems. Posted at 11:01 AM ATTENTION TV PRODUCERS, REPORTERS, ETC, [K. J. Lopez] Fox may have discovered this already--saw some good folks on there when I checked on and off throughout the night. If you're looking for guests to talk about the pope/Catholic stuff, here's a good guide to start with, on the website of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, some media saavy people worthy chatting with as you do 24/7 coverage. Posted at 10:55 AM SOME GOOD NEWS [K. J. Lopez] A Florida man emerges from a coma (this story says PVS). Best wishes to this high school coach and his family. Posted at 10:13 AM SALVIFICI DOLORIS [K. J. Lopez] PJPII on suffering Posted at 10:10 AM ON PRAYING FOR THE POPE IN HIS FINAL HOURS [K. J. Lopez] Cardinal George of Chicago's homily yesterday (audio). Posted at 09:50 AM MUGABE [K. J. Lopez] Scrappleface scared me while I skimmed my inbox headlines this ayem. Posted at 09:44 AM RE: IL PAPA [K. J. Lopez] Thank you, Ledeen. I somehow always think of John Paul Superstar saying "Be Not Afraid" in front of a group of kids. But I sell the man short when I do. So many contexts, so many successes, challenges, lessons. Posted at 09:43 AM IL PAPA [Michael Ledeen] We were in Rome when John Paul II was elected Pope, and, like most people, I didn't know much about him. Most of the commentary at that time described the Conclave's decision in political terms, and Karol Wojtyla was said to be a "detente Pope," a gesture of peace toward the Soviets. I went over to Communist Party headquarters in Via delle Botteghe Oscure to ask them what they thought of it, and one of the real hardline Stalinists put it nicely: "well," he said, "at least our Polish comrades won't have him around to (and here he used a colorful Roman phrase that roughly means 'give them a hard time.'). The Communist knew what he was talking about, and the scribblers and kibbitzers didn't. For Catholics, John Paul II will obviously be an inspiration for generations, and even those of us who do not share his faith have been ennobled and inspired by much of what he said and did. But for the entire world, he will forever stand as a symbol of the power of individuals standing firm for freedom. "Be Not Afraid" is indeed the phrase we will associate with him, as it was the phrase that inspired millions of people to risk all against tyranny. I had the good fortune to be a sort of informal ambassador to the Vatican when I worked for Secretary of State Haig, in the early 1980s, and I met several times with the Pope's personal secretaries, one Polish the other African. Contrary to the nonsensical accounts of various imaginative journalists, these conversations had nothing to do with covert action, but everything to do with a mutual search for understanding world events. John Paul's closest associates were at once brilliant, patient and constantly inquiring. They even had moments of dry humor, as when one of them asked me, "Ledeen, how can it be that in all the world, only the CIA does not know who tried to kill the Holy Father?" HoHO. John Paul II was a towering figure at a time when the world abounded in great men and women: Reagan, Thatcher, Juan Carlos, Deng Xiaoping, Walesa, Havel, Solzhenitsyn and Bukovsky and Sharansky, Nakasone etc. He had many things to do, and he accomplished most of his mission. It's the mark of a world historical figure that we see him shaping great events, rather than simply "being there" when big things happen. Such was John Paul II, and all of us will feel diminished at his passing. Posted at 09:35 AM SINCE NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND [Jonah Goldberg] An email re: my debate with Chait: Jonah: Posted at 08:29 AM Friday, April 01, 2005 INSIDE THE VOLCKER CMTE [K. J. Lopez] More from Roger Simon. Posted at 05:59 PM HIS TRAGEDY -- OR OURS? [Rod Dreher] As the Pope lays dying, I am reminded of an extraordinary assessment of his legacy offered several years ago by Washington Post reporter Roberto Suro, who spoke as part of a PBS "Frontline" documentary on John Paul. The entire interview, which is fairly critical of the pontiff, is here. Here is the money quote: I think the pope has to be a prophetic figure, somebody who changed humanity. What he offered, what he suggested, the road laid out, if followed, would have transformed humanity in a spiritual sense. He was calling at the end of the twentieth century for a spiritual life to become the center of man's humanity, for all men, and certainly for all Catholics and all Christians to rediscover spirituality as the guiding force in their lives. If he had accomplished that, he would have been a millennial figure, not the man of the century. Somebody who produced much grander changes than that. Posted at 05:32 PM FOR ROE TO LIVE, TERRI SCHIAVO HAD TO DIE [Jim Boulet] So argues The Nation's resident abortion absolutist, Katha Pollitt: The Schiavo case only looks unprecedented: For decades, women seeking to terminate pregnancies have faced gantlets of screamers, invasions of privacy, violence in the name of "saving babies," charges of murder and of evil motives, politically motivated legal obstacles, spurious medical "expertise" (abortion causes breast cancer; Terri Schiavo just needs therapy). There is the same free-floating vitriol: Abortion is the "Silent Holocaust," while, according to Peggy Noonan, those who support Ms. Schiavo's right to die are on "a low road that twists past Columbine and leads toward Auschwitz" ...Mark Schmitt was worried too: [T]he Schiavo case reveals the true priorities of the right: they are happy to abandon the principles of federalism if the issue is related to questions of "life." But if they are willing to cast aside federalism in the Schiavo case, won't they be willing to do the same in the context of abortion? And if they are, won't that inevitably lead to attempts to pass federal legislation banning abortion? Posted at 04:38 PM "THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE" [K. J. Lopez] An e-mail: The Holy Father is love personified in so many ways. He taught us how to live as a Christ taught and surrender all to God . He had a special love for persons the world sees as lacking value. During his wednesday audiences he saved the "best seats in the house" for those in wheelchairs. When he was able to move easily he would come and bless and touch individually each person in a wheelchair in the audience hall . I know because in July 1991 I was blessed by the pope from my special front row seat in my wheelchair and that day I looked into the face of a saint . He taught us all how to love no matter how challenging our every life is and he taught that the suffering we have has value even when we don't understand it. Posted at 04:21 PM RE: I'LL BE BACK [Jonah Goldberg] Earlier I posed: "I'll be back... But I have to drive out to tape Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered" Several readers wanted to know if I used duct tape. The answer is yes. Posted at 04:17 PM RE: JP II & THE LIMITS OF SADNESS [Jonah Goldberg] Lost of this sort of email: Jonah, Although I am not Catholic in exactly the same way you are not Catholic, I think I will take the time to grieve Pope John Paul II. Because it is human to do so, yes, but also because after being constantly reminded over the past couple of weeks how less than ordinary most of us are, it makes me sad and lonely to lose someone that is extraordinary. Posted at 03:18 PM JPII & THE LIMITS OF SADNESS [Jonah Goldberg] I suppose I'm with Ramesh & co. Though I am not a Catholic, I can muster many emotions at the the thought of John Paul II passing away. But grief really isn't chief among them. The man has been suffering for a long time and he has endured that suffering with greater dignity than most of us could dream of mustering. He lived a long life of great courage and conviction, acting nobly when acting otherwise would have been much easier and less dangerous. Through his actions and his example he left the entire world a better and safer place than when he left it. When his time comes, be it in hours or days or whenever, few will say he hadn't done more than his fair share. This is no tragedy. His life isn't being brought short by the hand of man. There's no cause for rage. But there's room for gratitude and the sort of remorse one feels when the world is made a little less by the loss of someone it sorely needed. So why overly grieve for a man who is surely worthy of reward in the next life? Perhaps the answer is simple, because it is human to do so. Posted at 02:42 PM A MOTHERLESS BOY [Kate O'Beirne] I have always been struck by the Pope's tragic childhood. He was eight when his mother died and 12 when he lost his beloved older brother to scarlet fever. He lived alone with his devoted father. A priest in the parish where Karol Wojtyla was an altar boy said he saw "the shadow of early orphanage on him." Posted at 02:39 PM "THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THE HOLY FATHER" [K. J. Lopez] Miles O'Brien on CNN and others keep saying this. If you believe in eternal life and all that, could anything be further from the truth for Karol Wojtyla? As Ramesh said, he's among those most prepared to meet his Maker. Posted at 02:36 PM SANDY SCISSORHANDS [Jonathan H. Adler] Ballonjuice rounds up all those who tried to defend Sandy Burglar, and adds a link to this amusing picture of "Sandy Scissorhands." Posted at 02:24 PM RE: BE NOT AFRAID [K. J. Lopez] I was struck by that earlier, watching the scene in Rome: all kinds of people, but so many young people gathered to pay tribute. Posted at 02:12 PM BE NOT AFRAID [Kate O'Beirne] Young people, in particular, will feel the loss of Pope John Paul II. Not only is he the only pope they have ever known. He loved them and they knew it and they loved him. With tens of thousands of others, our younger son went to World Youth Day in Toronto to see our Holy Father in 2002. The sea of teenagers, a reported 600,000, continually chanted "Pope John Two, We Love You." News accounts talked about the "genuine rapture in the voices of the young people" who packed the park as they began a 24-hour "prayer fest" before the pope celebrated Mass. He made the trip against the advice of his close advisers, determined not to disappoint those he called "the future and hope of the Church and humanity." Posted at 02:11 PM "CONSCIENCE" VETO [K. J. Lopez] Romney will veto the cloning bill, even though the statehouse will override. Posted at 02:08 PM MORE RE THAT DISSENTING READER [K. J. Lopez] This is a good point, this last sentence: It's been almost ten years since my father died. He had a feeding tube because of a tracheotomy caused by cancer in the throat (L.S.M.F.T). I did not allow him to "dehydrate to death" nor would I have starved him. He went quietly to the Kingdom of God during his sleep after a continuous decline. I think the Dr's a little hypersensitive but given his job and what he sees daily I would be too.E-mail makes one quicker to be hypersensitive, too, I know from experience! Posted at 01:57 PM RE: THE LIMITS OF SADNESS [K. J. Lopez] It's a great thing he's been here as long as he has. Really an amazing life--from fighting Nazis and Communism, to being a thinker (way before he was someone we all knew), devotion to the dignity of human life... Thank God we've had him. And you don't have to be Catholic to be grateful for this gift of a man. Posted at 01:49 PM RE: THE LIMITS OF JOURNALISTS [K. J. Lopez] CNN, to their credit, has been very careful about the Reuters report. EWTN, the Catholic network, is running a life-story bit on the peope, which, frankly, if you're watching TV, is probably the thing to watch for now while everyone else guesses if he's alive still or not. Posted at 01:46 PM THE LIMITS OF JOURNALISTS [Ramesh Ponnuru] FoxNews has just walked back its report of the Holy Father's death. Posted at 01:44 PM THE LIMITS OF SADNESS [Ramesh Ponnuru] Few of us are as prepared to meet our Creator as the pope is. And the Church's future is, in the long run, assured. R.I.P. Posted at 01:39 PM RE: RIP [K. J. Lopez] Vatican has not confirmed that yet, FYI. Posted at 01:30 PM RIP [Shannen Coffin] Reuters is reporting that John Paul II has died. God bless him. Posted at 01:26 PM THE SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD [Peter Robinson] I joined a group of parishioners saying the rosary this morning at St. Raymond's Church in Menlo Park. Sad, of course, but moving beyond words to find oneself united with people around the world--from those in our little church in suburban California to those in the great cavern of St Patrick's on Fifth Avenue to those in St. Peter's Square--in praying for this one great and holy man. Posted at 12:57 PM RE: PJPII [Shannen Coffin] FoxNews is reporting that Pope John Paul II has lost consciousness and is in his last moments in this realm. I cannot imagine a world without him. Posted at 12:31 PM SANDY BURGLAR & KOFI ANNAN [K. J. Lopez] Captured by Chris Muir Posted at 12:28 PM I'LL BE BACK [Jonah Goldberg ] But I have to drive out to tape Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered Posted at 12:14 PM THINKING PEACHY MAY [K. J. Lopez ] Richard Campbell, who attended our NYC fundraiser, writes: “The NRO fundraiser I atteneded will surely be the peak of my “brush with greatness,” what with chatting with WFB himself, Kate O’Beirne, (fellow Ann Arborite and brilliant NY Sun Music Critic) Jay Nordlinger, Andrew Stuttaford, Ramesh Ponnuru, and others. Unfortunately, I could not break through the throngs of Jonah Goldberg acolytes to ask how exactly he saved Rich Lowry’s life during the prison riots.” Details here. Posted at 12:10 PM PJPII UPDATE [K. J. Lopez] VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Vatican says the pope's breathing "has become shallow" and his kidney function is deteriorating. Posted at 12:02 PM ME VERSUS CHAIT [Jonah Goldberg ] As is the wont of such debates, we've descended into highly geeky insidery snarky stuff. But there seem to be quite a few folks out there who like this sort of thing, so here is my latest -- and in all likelihood, last -- response. There were quite a few non-central points and allegations I left on the cutting room floor for the sake of brevity. Alas, I did not achieve my goal, for it is long. Anyway, feedback always welcome from folks who actually like these sorts of debates. But if you're the kind of person who doesn't like these sorts of debates -- don't read it. I will interpret your silence as disapproval. Posted at 11:59 AM I GET ALL KINDS OF EMAIL [Jonah Goldberg] From a student at NYU: Jonah- I am in a 230 person lecture right now and someone has purchased a remotely controlled fart machine and it may be the funniest thing i have ever heard. Gets all the serious stuff today slightly out of your head. Posted at 11:54 AM IT'S ALL SO FUNNY [Jonah Goldberg] When the Burglar episode first broke, recall that Clinton's explanation for Berger boiled down to the notion that this was just the way that lovable rapscalion ran the National Security Council. "The innocent explanation is the most likely one, particularly given the facts involved," Clinton assured us. He told a newspaper reporter in Colorado "We were all laughing about it on the way over here." He continued: "People who don't know him might find it hard to believe. But ... all of us who've been in his office have always found him buried beneath papers." Well, now that the innocent explanation isn't the real explanation, presumably someone will assure us that this sort of thing wasn't Posted at 11:52 AM BOOK AD [Jonathan H. Adler] It seems Matt Yglesias doesn't like one of NRO's ads. Posted at 11:48 AM NOT TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE… [K. J. Lopez ] …but, where are the big feminist groups on cloning in Mass. (and elsewhere)? Posted at 11:43 AM RE: ”FERTILZED EMBRYO” [K. J. Lopez ] I asked Robert Princeton George about that Massachusetts rep’s weird science (which was heard a bit in the California cloning debate, too) and Robby responded thus: Bosley's comments are Barbara Boxer-level wacky. "Fertilized embryo" is--how shall I put this?--a non-concept. The point Bosley is missing (or trying to evade) is that embryos can be brought into being in two (in fact, more than two) distinct ways: by fertilization of an egg cell by a sperm cell OR by somatic cell nuclear transfer. Either way, if the process is successful, what you end up with is a nascent human being--a whole, living member of the species homo sapiens--who will, if provided with a suitable environment and adequate nutrition, soon be conjugating verbs and then asking for the car keys. Now, of course cloning can fail; so can fertilization. Embryos can be defective, and can be defective in ways that will prevent implantation. In the case of cloning experimentation, many embryos will be defective. Yet they are embryos, just as retarded children are children. At the same time, sometimes failures of fertilization or cloning processes are so severe that embryogenesis doesn't take place. What is created is a non-embryonic growth, such as a complete hydatidiform mole or a teratoma. These are disorganized, tumor-like entities, rather than embryonic members of the species. But this is not what Bosley has in mind (to the extent that he can be said to have anything in mind). Posted at 11:41 AM ACCK—IT’S THE C-WORD! GET BACK TO DOUBLESPEAK CLASS! [K. J. Lopez ] The Associated Press missed out on the latest pro-cloning talking points: trick folks into thinking embryos aren’t actually embryos. In their story on the Massachusetts bill passing the House, the AP reports: “The measure would allow scientists to create cloned embryos and extract their stem cells for research into the treatment and cure of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and other conditions.” But this is how one pro-cloning legislator put it to the Boston Globe earlier in the week: ''I can't quite figure out where the governor's objections are coming from," said Representative Daniel E. Bosley, the North Adams Democrat who is shepherding the bill in the House. ''Somatic cell nuclear transfer involves transferring a nucleus into an egg, not an embryo. It is then tricked into thinking it is fertilized. It is not a fertilized embryo. Many scientists feel that it cannot be implanted, and, if it is implanted, that it will not grow."(Globe columnist Joan Vennochi has something similar yesterday. Posted at 11:39 AM PILING ON SANDY BURGLAR [Jonathan H. Adler] Glenn Reynolds rounds up some thoughts on Sandy Burglar's deal here. While I agree with Jonah that his career in public life should be over, I am disturbed by the lightness of the punishment. As one of Glenn's readers notes: "Why did Martha Stewart go to jail for lying to investigators? Berger now admits he did exactly the same thing. But he'll get off with a fine and an admission of "his mistakes". Can one honestly say Martha's lies were more damaging than Bergers? I don't think so." I don't think the answer is that Sandy Burglar had better lawyers, and is not as if Stewart's alleged insider trading was anywhere near as serious an offense. Posted at 11:38 AM BURGLAR [Jonah Goldberg] From the Donovan: Simple. What he did was far worse than what Martha Stewart did. One can only wonder what the thinking was on the side of the Justice Department. Posted at 11:38 AM MORE BURGLAR [Jonah Goldberg] The more I think about this (and more I hear from people who've explained some details), the more peeved I get. If he was caught dead to rights stealing and destroying classified materials, by what rationale is the Justice Department letting him off with a "slap on the wrist" in Shannen's words? Were his reasons more noble than those of folks who get sent to prison for years? If so, again, the media must work harder to tell us what those motives were -- and so should the government. It sounds to me that Gonzales is, again, getting off to a bad start (Full disclosure: My wife is still working for DOJ and for the new AG. But my reasons for being disappointed in him have nothing to do with that). Posted at 11:34 AM RE: RE: DISSENTING READER [K. J. Lopez] Another reader: NRO's editors did not, contrary to Derb's dissenting neurosurgeon, overreach in posing the rhetorical question " Why not kill Mrs. Schiavo quickly and efficiently, by depriving her of air to breathe?"...[D]on't forget that Judge Greer also prohibited feeding Terri by MOUTH, thereby depriving her of any opportunity for sustenance and analogous to depriving someone of any opportunity for respiration--"artificial" or otherwise. Greer's dual prohibition's against feeding Terri orally or by feeding tube is akin to removing not just a respirator, but all of the air in the patient's room as well. Posted at 11:19 AM REVOLUTION TIME [K. J. Lopez] in Zimbabwe? Posted at 11:10 AM RE: BURGLAR [Shannen Coffin] Jonah, my only reaction to the Berger story is that the Justice Deparment obviously had the goods on his sticky fingers (and whatever other body parts were involved) and he took the best deal he could get. With a misdemeanor, he faces a lot less potential jail time than the more serious national security related offenses that could have been charged. He's obviously hoping for a slap on the wrist for not putting up a fight, which of course is much more possible with the federal sentencing guidelines being rendered merely advisory by the Supreme Court. Does it end his political career? That's hard to say. But it certainly doesn't help in the security clearance area. Posted at 11:09 AM MORE SANDY BURGLAR [Jonah Goldberg] I really think the Mainstream Media should be ashamed of itself if it doesn't go after this story just a little bit more. Why did Berger destroy these documents? What did they reveal -- or not reveal -- about the administration. We've never gotten clear answers about this. Posted at 11:01 AM SANDY BURGLAR [Jonah Goldberg] Let's accept a few obvious facts. Sandy Berger had good legal representation. Sandy Berger is a man of considerable political ambition. Sandy Berger is a man who values his reputation. Given these facts, I think this plea agreement is pretty astonishing. He's thrown away almost any chance of serving in government again and he's admitted to a crime that cannot be spun as anything other than serious. I mean given all of the charges about intelligence screw-ups and secret agendas over the last five years, isn't it interesting that the Clinton administration is still generating criminal charges in these areas? I'd be curious what Shannen and Andrew think of this since they know this stuff. Am I wrong? Posted at 10:56 AM NO DEBATE ZONE [Mark R. Levin] So, Ted Kennedy is accusing Tom DeLay of encouraging threats against judges. Where have we heard this before? When GW law professor Jeffrey Rosen accused me of the same thing. The liberals have their mantra down now. And when Cathy Young tried the same thing against DeLay and Kathryn. Gee, and I thought the unrelenting attacks on Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and a score of Bush nominees by Kennedy and his ilk, not only criticizing their past decisions or experiences, but labeling them as extremists and worse, might be responsible for stoking the fires of hate for the judiciary. Apparently the Left prefers to attempt to intimidate conservative critics of the judiciary with these vicious mud-balls rather than debate issues. Posted at 10:45 AM 17 NEW BISHOPS [K. J. Lopez] I had heard maybe two weeks ago from a Vatican source that a list of new bishops had been approved by the pope, but then I heard nothing of it. Well, just now, Fox News flashed that, hours after heart failure, he's approved 17 new bishops. Probably not a big deal, but it seems like a classic bad-timing gaffe from the Vatican aides--would have been less weird before today. Posted at 10:08 AM RE: DISSENTING READER [K. J. Lopez] Derb, your neurosurgeon seems to make the same mistake so many have--confusing the Schiavo case with their own experience, of different circumstances. Terri Schiavo was not on a respirator. That may seem like a small point, but I don't think it is. She was breathing on her own. She just needed to be fed. There were people who loved her and wanted to make sure she was fed. That's not NR or anyone else dictating when grandpa's multiple machines can be turned off, it's a relevant question in a disturbing instance that has captivated the attention of a nation, though apparently--in terms of details--not enough. Posted at 10:02 AM SUBJ: CORNER: A READER DISSENTS [John Derbyshire] The reader who sent this in asked for his name to be withheld: Mr Derbyshire--- Posted at 09:55 AM AL QAEDA'S GRAND STRATEGY [Rachel Z. Friedman] Michael Doran, the Princeton professor NRO covered here, gave a well-attended lecture on Monday on the question: "Can an organization that does not have a well-developed command and control network--such as al Qaeda--have a grand strategy?" TigerHawk's extensive post on the lecture (via Roger Simon) is well worth a read. Posted at 09:54 AM DST [Jim Robbins] John J. Miller will appreciate that Benjamin Franklin first suggested daylight savings time as a solution to the sloth of Frenchmen who slept in all morning. Posted at 09:41 AM SPEAKING OF APRIL FOOL'S DAY [Tim Graham] MRC's traditional annual "April Fools Edition" of Notable Quotables is up, if you want to fool people into thinking these satirical quotes are real. Enjoy here. PS: It has happened that a "fake quote" later erupts in a manner far too close to the satirical version. See our old Lithuania example here. Posted at 09:40 AM BOLTON'S ENEMIES [Jonathan H. Adler] SA's Patrick Carver investigates the 59 former diplomats who signed a letter against John Bolton's confirmation. His findings are interesting. In short, some of the "Republican" signatories are not quite what they seem. Posted at 09:32 AM RE: SMACKDOWN ATLANTA [K. J. Lopez] Some of the details of that last post might have been influenced by today's date and might not actually be true. Though, we are hanging in Atlanta in May, and it is a fundraiser to keep us a-running, and it will be fun. That last sentence is completely true. Details (true ones) here. Posted at 09:30 AM SMACKDOWN ATLANTA [K. J. Lopez] We've moved the location of the Atlanta fundraiser to a boxing ring. Jonah has agreed to take on Jonathan Chait, Klingons, and whomever else dares enter the city for this unprecedented event. Posted at 09:28 AM PLO LOSES IN COURT [Jonathan H. Adler] Howard Bashman has the details here. Posted at 09:21 AM SANDY BURGLAR [Jonathan H. Adler] From the NYT story: When the issue surfaced last year, Mr. Berger insisted that he had removed the classified material inadvertently. But in the plea agreement reached with prosecutors, he is expected to admit that he intentionally removed copies of five classified documents, destroyed three and misled staff members at the National Archives when confronted about it, according to an associate of Mr. Berger's who is involved in his defense but who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plea has not been formalized in court. Posted at 09:19 AM WHAT A ROTTEN THING TO SAY [K. J. Lopez] Michelle Malkin scolds Chis Matthews. Posted at 08:44 AM "DEVOUTLY" SECULAR [Tim Graham] If you haven't yet seen the Media Research Center study of a year's worth of network religion coverage that I compiled with Ken Shepherd, see here. I was unpleasantly surprised (but I shouldn't have been) in how eager reporters were to present John Kerry as a "devout Catholic." Expect a lot of this in the weeks to come: TV discoveries of a flock of "devout Catholics" that want to remake the Church entirely. Posted at 08:22 AM 117-37 [K. J. Lopez] On Beacon Hill, the Massachusetts house yesterday followed the senate in passing an embryonic-stem-cell bill that greenlights cloning. They did it, as you can imagine, for the children: ''The House of Representatives voted significantly in favor of helping children and people of all ages who suffer from debilitating diseases and illnesses," said House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. ''I think this is a giant step for medical research." Posted at 07:51 AM HOW ABOUT THE WASHINGTON POST JUST MOVE TO OREGON [K. J. Lopez] From their Schiavo editorial: "Yet there has to be space in a free society for others to differ: to draw up living wills that specify limits to life-prolonging medical interventions, and perhaps also to opt for assisted suicide." (Emphasis mine.) Posted at 07:36 AM PJPII [K. J. Lopez] The pope suffered heart failure, the Vatican has said, but is now ‘‘conscious, lucid and tranquil." Posted at 07:07 AM Thursday, March 31, 2005 SANDY BERGER HAS AGREED TO PLEAD GUILTY [KJL] to a misdemeanor for mishandling classified docs (breaking--msnbc) Posted at 05:53 PM POPE'S CONDITION WORSENS [K. J. Lopez] An Italian news agency is reporting, AP picks up. Update: Vatican confirms. Update: 4:40, CNN reports confirmation that he has been given last rites. Posted at 03:47 PM "SOME PEOPLE HOLD RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS SO HEARTFELT THAT THEY COULD NOT BOW TO PUBLIC OPINION OR THE COURTS AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT MS. SCHIAVO SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DIE. [K. J. Lopez] That's from the NYTimes editorial on Terri Schiavo's death. We simple folk, don't get basic facts (and somehow some non-religious fellow-travellers). That a feeding tube is extraordinary care? That parents who want to care for their child just don't know the real meaning of "love" (a word George Fel | ||||||