Who is Pope Pius IX?
As a note of high irony, Pope John Paul II also beatified another pope along with Pius IX that day in 2000, and that was John XXIII. This is ironic since John XXIII was the first liberal pope the liberals managed to get back into power. John XXIII, however, remained a liberal. He too convoked a Council, that of Vatican II, which was renowned for its inclusion of Protestant observers as well as deviant Catholic theologians and which discussed how the Church could better accomodate and get in line with the world in order to be accepted. Pius IX and John XXIII are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Pius IX’s efforts strengthed the Church for another 100 years whereas within just 10 years of John XXIII’s council the Church has become a struggling institution of glorified social workers, seemingly having lost its identity. This has lead many Catholics to believe that John’s canonization process will be ultimately suspended, or that if it is rammed through – as it has been at break neck spee
