DavidTang（鄧永鏘）
Inl492,ChristopherColumbusdiscoveredAmerica.ItwasalsotheyearinwhichalltheJewswereexpelledfromSpain.ButanotherextraordinaryeventoccurredinthatsameyearinRome:AlexanderVIwaselectedPope.Hewasperhapsthemostrevoltingpopeofalltime.Hewaslicentiousandfatheredseveralchildrenbothbeforeandafterhispapacy.Sodon'tthinkthatpopeshaveallbeencelibate.Hewasalsoveryrichbecauseheshamelesslyusedhispositionasacardinaltoaccumulateill-gottengains.Infact,hebribedhiswaythroughtobePope,purchasingthevotesofnearlyallofthe22cardinalswhoformedtheconclave.Therewascertainlycorruptioninthesmoke.
AlexanderVIwasoneoftwoSpanishpopesandprobablyarathergoodbusinessmanasuponelection,heturnedthePapalStatesintoafamilyenterprise,amassingillegitimatewealthanddispensingnepotismasiftherewasnotomorrow.HenamedhissonCesare,attheageofonlyl8,acardinal.WhenthefamouspreacherSavonarolachallengedtheblatantpapaldepravity,Alexanderorderedhistortureandexecution.CharmwasclearlynotAlexander'sforte.TheonlyfortunatethingaboutAlexanderwasthathediedofpoison,notmeantforhim,atadinnerwithhisson.ButthisnotoriousshepherdofGoddidmanageonegooddeed:Michelangelo,onlyinhislatetwenties,waspersuadedbyAlexandertodrawupaplanfortherebuildingofStPeter's.Itwasalmosthisonlyachievementforwhichwecouldn'tblamehim.
WhenIreadaboutAlexander'slife,I,asayoungCatholic,wasshocked.IonlybecameaCatholicinafamilythatbelievedinandpractisedBuddhismbecausemymotherwantedmetogetintoLaSallePrimarySchool,whereeveryboytherehadtobeCatholic.IwasalsoputintoaCatholicschoolinEnglandwhenIfirstarrivedthere.SoIhadmyfairshareofthecatechism,themass,theconfessionandotherreligiousinstructionsfromthecloth,nottomentiontheBiblewhichIhavealwayswantedtoreadtheentiretyof,buthavenotdone.Iknewhowtobeanaltarboy,knowingexactly,attheoffertory,thebalanceofwaterandwine(sherryactually)forthechalice;andIwasgoodwiththependulousswingsoftheburningincenseoncharcoalatbenediction.Aboveall,however,IfoundgreatintellectualcomfortinCatholicismandcametorespecttheauthorityoftheChurch.Indeed,Iloveceremonieswhichpeoplenowadaysundermine,foolishly,inmymindbecauseceremonyisatribalinstinctthatelevatesourhumanity.Iamalsoconvincedthatreligiousobjectivityissomethingwedefinitelywanttoholdonto.Evenattheinnocentageofl4,IremembertheragingcontroversyofPopePaul'sEncyclicalonbirthcontrol,"Humanaevitae"(Ofhumanlife),andthoughttomyselfthatImustreadandunderstanditsothatIcouldarguethesamewayasthePope.Ididandstilldo,evenifthereisnowvirtualuniversalacceptanceoncontraceptionamongstnon-Catholics,aswellasalotofdevoutCatholics.WhenthepresentPopeJohnPaulcirculatedhisfirstEncyclical"Redemptorhominis"(Redeemerofhumanity),IalsorecallhowimpressedIwasbythewayinwhichthePopeassertedhumandignityanddeploredtheexploitationoftheearth.
SoIwasappalledtoreadaboutAlexanderVIandthemoreIreadaboutotherinvidiouspopes,themoreIbecamehorrified.Icametorealizethatagreatnumberofthemscarcelyqualifiedfordecencyletalonerespect.PopeSabinian(604-6)soldgraintothehungryforprofit.PopeSergius(904-11)murderedhispredecessor.PopeJohnXII(955-64),whowaselectedattheabsurdageofl8,ledatotallypromiscuouslifeanddiedofastrokeinbedwithamarriedwoman.PopeBoniface(l389-1404)soldindulgencesenmasse,andPopeSixtus(l47l-84)createdtheSpanishInquisition(evenifhemighthavebeenforgivenforhavingbuilttheSistineChapel).PopePaulIV(1555-59)washugelyanti-SemiticandmadeJewswearspecialcapsinRome.Thelistgoesonandofthe262popes,itwillbeseenthatnotallofthemwereexactlysainted.Butthankfully,especiallyinrecenttimes,thedignityofthepapalpositionhasbeenrestored.
That'swhyIremainapapist.Iknowit'snotatallfashionablenowadaystobeapapistandIcanunderstandwhy.TheCatholicChurchisoftenviewedashavinglosttouchwithreality,andpapalauthority,evenwithintheChurchitself,isoftenregardedwithsuspicion.Buthumannatureissuchthatit'smucheasiertodisobeythantoobey.Yet,wheneverIgointoachurch,IcannothelpfeelingaspiritualauthoritywhichIesteem.ThismysterycomesnaturallytomeandIcanonlyidentifyitasfaith.IhaveneverfailedtoappreciatethepathosofthosewordswrittenbyMatthewwhenJesussaidtotheApostlePeter:"AndsoIsaytoyou,youarePeter,anduponthisrockIwillbuildmychurch,andthegatesofthenetherworldshallnotprevailagainstit.IwillgiveyouthekeysoftheKingdomofheaven."Itisamarvelloussensationtohavefaith,afewrottenpopesnotwithstanding!
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作者為上海灘創辦人，文章隔星期一刊出