Pope John Paul II used Belt to Whip Himself

[Mari333]

VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation, and slept on the floor as acts of penitence and to bring him closer to Christian perfection, according to a new book by the Polish prelate spearheading his sainthood case.

The book "Why He's a Saint" also includes previously unpublished speeches and documents written by John Paul, including one 1989 signed memo in which he said he would resign if he became incapacitated.










http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35079187/ns/world_news-europe/?GT1=43001

look, I respect whatever people believe in, but this is one reason I got out of catholicism..self hatred.

[Zoeisright]

1. I don't get it. What's the point?

Why couldn't he take that energy and time and use it to help people, as Jesus commanded??

[Tailormyst]

4. Actually there is a biological reason people do this

The flogging creates a rush of endorphines and a "high". Many cultures throughout history have used pain to reach altered states. It just takes continuous low level pain.

[Maru Kitteh]

13. I'm in continous low-grade pain and I don't feel very euphoric.

At least not without a little Johnny Walker or a nice wine. Or I get a really choice parking place.

[Tailormyst]

23. Heh, different sort of pain.

[anonymous171]

14. Self-flagellation = Catholic Peyote. nt

[Tailormyst]

25. Something like that

It's been a component of alot of different religious over time, usually among the most deovoted or the religious leaders/shamans, etc.

[Mari333]

6. I dont know. I was raised old Catholic, and we were told the body was evil

self flagellation has been a part of the hatred of one's sinfilled self in the CC for a long long time.
I was like, pffft, who needs this.
I like myself way too much.

[WinkyDink]

29. As a Catholic, I was never told "the body was evil".

[rufus dog]

2. I have been known to take off my belt and whip myself

wait never mind.

[Arctic Dave]

3. That and the , surround yourself in opulence while everyone else lives in squalor.

[Maru Kitteh]

17. Yup. Anyone living in a spread like that - I'm a bit skeptical about their commitment to the poor

Hedge-Fund Johnie Edwards can only stand there and drool at a pad like the vatican.

[Xipe Totec]

5. How Muslim of him!

Day of Ashura

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. ewww. They had scenes of self beating in that Tom Hanks movie "Da Vinci Code" I think

It was hard to watch

[Poll_Blind]

9. Yeah- as I was reading this thread I was remembering that scene of the dude all strapped up with...

...belts and self-flagellating. That's crazy.

PB

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. freaked me out. Seeing it is different than reading out it. OMG.

[blogslut]

21. The belt was a Cilice

I make be-jeweled Cilices because I'm a crazy artist:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sharpwear

[OneGrassRoot]

11. Opus Dei

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_Dei

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. yep

[anonymous171]

8. Meh, he was better than the Prada Pope we have now.

Ritual suffering is found in a lot of different religions. I don't see a problem with this.

[John1956PA]

15. The medieval practice of "Mortification" has followers among Opus Dei.

From the Wikipedia page for Opus Dei at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_dei :

Much public attention has focused on Opus Dei's practice of mortification — the voluntary offering up of discomfort or pain to God. Mortification has a long history in many world religions, including the Catholic Church. It has been endorsed by Popes as a way of following Christ who died in a bloody crucifixion and who gave this advice: "let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me." (Lk 9:23)<63> Supporters say that opposition to mortification is rooted in having lost (1) the "sense of the enormity of sin" or offense against God, and the consequent penance, both interior and exterior, (2) the notions of "wounded human nature" and of concupiscence or inclination to sin, and thus the need for "spiritual battle,"<64> and (3) a spirit of sacrifice for love and "supernatural ends," and not only for physical enhancement.

For what it may worth, I will add that I used to be a practicing Catholic but am no longer.

[MisterP]

18. Óscar Romero too (pinko Catholic here) nt

[John1956PA]

22. I recall Bishop Romero's 1980 killing, which was dramatized in the great 1986 movie "Salvador."

However, I did not know that he practiced mortification. Thanks for that bit of information, which also appears on the Wikipedia page for him.

[Walk away]

16. Catholic leaders can't beat themselves enough. If their hell exists they should rot in it.

I hope Mother Teresa beat herself blue for trying to convince the poorest people in the world that wearing a condom during sex was a mortal sin and it was better to get AIDS and give birth to babies on polluted garbage piles than go to Catholic hell.

Wasn't it John Paul 2 himself who welcomed the murdering Bishops of Rwanda to the safety of Europe after they had turned churches filled with babies and children over to be massacred?

These people have caused more death, famine and misery than histories despots put together.

[jmowreader]

19. Pies Iesu Domine...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6yFTZsJCxY

dona iesu requiem...

[Canuckistanian]

20. I'll volunteer to whip Ratzenberger with a belt

If it will bring HIM closer to Gawd.

[TexasObserver]

24. More evidence that he was nuts, too, just more friendly than most Popes.

Maybe if he hadn't spent a lifetime hiding pedophiles from the law and their victims, he wouldn't have had to beat himself.

[Joanne98]

26. Opus Dei

[leeroysphitz]

27. "I'm a nasty pope, I'm a nasty pope!"

[Blue_Tires]

28. why do it to yourself when you can pay someone to do it?

[Politicub]

30. Maybe the pain temporarily eases the conscience

of those who enforce Catholic doctrine.

To me, it sounds like a medieval hold over. "If I'm whipping myself and suffering, I'm just like all of the people that we cause to suffer."

[cap]

31. I think this part of the Pope's attempt to introduce Old-Time Catholicism

He's starting to hold out mortification as a role model for people to follow. This Pope is ruining the church. People arent going to go for it at all. There will be a lot of business for psychologists unscrewing people's psyches.

[Libertas1776]

32. Bad Pope! Bad!....

:eyes:

[WI_DEM]

33. I really don't care. If he wanted to do this it's no skin off my nose.