This is an archive of the former website of the Maoist Internationalist Movement, which was run by the now defunct Maoist Internationalist Party - Amerika. The MIM now consists of many independent cells, many of which have their own indendendent organs both online and off. MIM(Prisons) serves these documents as a service to and reference for the anti-imperialist movement worldwide.
This is an archive of the former website of the Maoist Internationalist Movement, which was run by the now defunct Maoist Internationalist Party - Amerika. The MIM now consists of many independent cells, many of which have their own indendendent organs both online and off. MIM(Prisons) serves these documents as a service to and reference for the anti-imperialist movement worldwide.
Maoist Internationalist Movement

Obituary: Pope John Paul II

by a MIM comrade and RC33t

Pope John Paul II died April 2, after 26 years as pope for the Catholic Church. The Pope rules the smallest country in the world, Vatican City, but is arguably as powerful as the rulers of big imperialist countries.

John Paul II is being eulogized as the most loved Pope in recent history. His rule in the Catholic Church increased outreach to the people, both Catholics and other religions. Among other acts, this Pope made more people into saints than any previous Pope. The creation of new saints, spread throughout the world, provides examples of holiness and good Catholics everywhere. While some see this outreach to the people as progressive, MIM sees it as a political move to increase the reach and power of the Catholic Church, a reactionary and repressive force in society.

Historically the Catholic Church has been one of the greatest promoters of evil in the world. By evil MIM does not mean the devil, but rather death, destruction and repression, the cause of harm to humanity.

During the time period known as the Middle Ages or Dark Ages, the Catholic Church repressed intellectual and artistic creativity and education. This was a strategic move to keep people from challenging the Church, and to keep the Church as the ruling force in education and throughout people's lives. During this time, at the height of the Catholic Church's power, the clergy worked with feudal lords to maintain the system of feudalism by spreading lies that reinforced the need for people to stay in their place as serfs. The Church also spread the idea of the divine right of kings, an idea in the Bible which says that God supports the rulers of people.

The Catholic Church continues this role today by justifying the plight of people in this life who are suffering but will be saved in the next life. This is another way of telling people not to fight back against their oppressors, but instead accept their lot and pray for salvation. In this way religion works very well to reinforce reactionary governments. Convincing the people that their suffering is either punishment from God, or even just their fate which will lead them to a better afterlife, keeps people passive.

While in some countries, like the United $tates, the government has the veneer of secularism, religion still pervades the political system. For instance, it is the Catholic Church that is behind the idea that marriage is between a man and a womyn, now a popular political campaign in Amerika.

Among its reactionary political actions through the ages, the Catholic Church has played an important role in supporting fascism. In 1922 Pope Pius XI paved the way for Fascism in Italy by banning participation in the Catholic Party, paralyzing what had been a serious obstacle to fascism. In return Mussolini had the Italian state bail out the Bank of Rome which was controlled by the Catholics and was on the brink of bankruptcy. The Church openly praised the fascist government and the two worked together to maintain both religious and political rule over the Italian people.(1) Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) continued in the Pius fascist tradition by supporting and aiding Hitler as well as Mussolini.(2)

Pope John Paul II himself, prior to becoming Pope, was an outspoken anti- communist Cardinal in Poland. But he refused to give support to Catholic priests fighting against reactionary regimes in South America in the 1970s and 1980s, and has attempted to stop priests from taking up liberation theology while at the same time promoting the Opus Dei, a group that has a history of supporting General Franco and Spanish fascism.(3)

This Pope has also declared all forms of contraception evil, even used within a marriage. This position is anti-scientific and very dangerous for the health and well being of those who follow the Catholic Church. In particular, the Church's condemnation of condoms and questioning of their effectiveness against HIV has led directly to thousands of people's unnecessarily being infected with this virus.

And finally, among the highlights of his career, Pope John Paul II oversaw the Church during the biggest scandal in its recent history: the sexual abuse of children by clergy. And he oversaw the foot dragging and resistance of the Church leadership in addressing this abuse. Ever interested in protecting the power and image of the Church, the Vatican's response to the sexual abuse scandal is not unexpected. On questions of gender in general, the Catholic Church is among the most reactionary forces in the world. When Amerikans point to Muslim religions critically on this question, while praising the Pope as a great leader and holy man, we call out their hypocrisy.

The death of Pope John Paul II is overall unremarkable except as an opportunity to review the reactionary history of the Catholic Church from the Inquisition through the Dark Ages, in support of fascism from its inception in Italy until its modern day manifestation in Third World countries where the Church helps to prop up reactionary governments, and even encourages people to avoid condoms in regions plagued by AIDS. Overall the Catholic Church is a force on the side of exploitation, oppression and death in the world, and Pope John Paul II did his part to further this work through a lifetime of service to the Church. His death will only mean new leadership to the same old reactionary religion.

Notes:
1. http://www.cephas- library.com/catholic/catholic_vatican_in_world_politics_chpt_9.html
2. MIM review of Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII,
http://www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/bookstore/books/europe/cornwell.html
3. From a review of The Pope in Winter: The Dark Face of John Paul II's Papacy by John Cornwell. http://edstrong.blog-city.com/read/1172103.htm

No to Eastern spirituality too

by mim3@mim.org and a MIM website reader

Our obituary of the pope reminds many Westerners of the reasons that they prefer Eastern spirituality, those ideas derived from Hindu religion including Buddhism. The cause of the popularity of Western Buddhism and Eastern mysticism is the desire to escape material conditions in the West. In the East, the masses are trying to escape Hindu, Buddhist and similar ideas. The people of the West are correct to reject Christianity and the people of the East are right to reject their religions too.

This is no where more evident than in Nepal where a god-king rules the people with absolute authority in a minority of the country where communists are not in control. He has imprisoned all stripes of people politically speaking, shut down the press and even briefly turned off the telephone service for the country a few days to demonstrate control. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of people oppose his rule backed by only a die-hard minority.

Likewise, in India, a leading non-communist agitator for the rights of the bottom classes is recommending that the people we in the West refer to as "untouchables" (Dalits) and other lower caste people in the West take up Western religion: "The only people to spare some thought to the Indian Apartheid are the Christians," says the Dalit organizer.

According to this one non-communist, the ordinary Dalit "wants self-respect which is denied under Hinduism. They will get it the moment they get out of Hinduism and convert to other religions." Some people are not too slow to pick up on a potential opening for Christianity in India. There is a website called "dalitchristians.com."

260 million people in the caste system are culturally too low to be in the presence of the highest caste. At birth Dalits have their entire career chosen for them--something the Dalai Lama knows something about too.

Those fascinated with Eastern spirituality in the West should check the situation in South Asia and what the people on the bottom endure because of what the Western petty-bourgeoisie calls spirituality. In no place on this earth is there a people able to live in peace free from u.$. imperialism and the ravages of other capitalists.

Humyn harmony and peace is a physical state of being that we should seek to attain. The factors blocking harmony and peace are all material as well: call it an admission that the problem is secular, a problem of secular life that has to be resolved with reference to secular life. Religions only add an extra layer of division and complication to an already difficult job to do in the secular world.

Instead of seeking religions from other places to avoid our own material conditions, we should confront our conditions and use our brains to work for physical harmony and peace and not settle for internal tranquility and conformity. Religion and spirituality are immoral distractions from peace and harmony.

Note:
http://www.dalitvoice.org/book.htm