Analysis of Gary Wills Papacy Dissection

Summary and Brief Analysis

Gary Wills dissects the conflict of maintaining a solid Catholic faith while admitting to the faults of the Papacy and the imperfections of Catholicism. He does not denounce the church; rather he contends that the Papacy suffers from the same poison of evil that infects every man. It is vulnerable to men who use the Papacy as a vehicle to perpetuate that evil.

It is said that to be a good Catholic is to recognize the sanctity and purity of the Papacy over the duration of its rule. Wills argues that this blind acceptance should not be the only option of good Catholic faith. Popes have committed many crimes. Some are induced by evil times in which society as a whole has been contaminated by corruption, in which case the Pope becomes a reflection of his own culture. Others have been evil men tempted by the lure of power and personal spiritual superiority. Whether driven by external or internal motives, it is fact that the Papacy has experienced hard times. It is these flaws that Wills wants to recognize without becoming “unfaithful”.

Catholic faith also bases itself on the idea that there was a “Golden Age” at the apostolic time. This is untrue; some Apostles competed amongst each other for favor, and the eternal praise from being portrayed as a pivotal asset of the Catholic foundation. This is a further denial of Catholicism that is an attempt to protect the intentions of its initial followers. All of this denial prevents the Papacy from acknowledging the broad views presented by its many Popes. History shows that the Papacy has supported numerous issues that, at another time, it has also denounced. Among these are Capitalism, Communism, and its stance on Jews. A broad contrast in views by different people representing a supposedly uniform and stable Papacy will inevitable lead to the dissention of its faithful. It should not be expected that one should blindly support an office that contradicts itself, but denies having changed in the first place.