What is Andrew Sullivan's Problem?

Did anyone catch Andrew Sullivan on Chris Matthew's show? This guy has some very serious issues. What happened to his corn flakes? I haven't been reading and following his stuff for long, so maybe this is ongoing and I'm just getting in on the action. But that man is bitter.

Chris Matthews who is a liberal Catholic is clearly overwhelmed in a positive sense by the whole Rome experience and the outpouring of affection for the great Light that has left us. He had on three reporters, including Andrew. There was a guy on who agreed with everything Andrew said, but there was a difference. With Andrew there was a bitterness and resentment that was startling. I had no idea. Chris Matthews was trying to elicit touching positive responses but Andrew would have none of it. Is it that hard to say, "yes when the Pope says 'I love you,' he meant it"?

Everyone agrees that this Pope will never ever live down his failure on the child abuse scandal. Fair enough. But if you've got vitriol and issues, perhaps not right now while the body is still warm. Let it cool off a bit and maybe after they take the heart out or something. Can you, Andrew, at least say, "I respect the man"?

Also, who among us believes that if the Pope was in top health when this scandal broke out that the Pope wouldn't have been more effective? (At least I want to believe that). JPII defintely dropped the ball and screwed up majorly, but we can cut him some slack here can't we? We was a shell of his former self the last five years and who knows what was conveyed to him and what got through his bubble. It was clear that the entire holy and righteous Vatican bureacracy was in on the screw up. IMO, the entire hierarchy, going back decades, is guilty. They allowed these crimes to be committed knowingly. So no need to single out this Pope as though his sins tower above all others when in fact, all are guilty.

I just think that this is not the time for the nastiness. The man just passed away, the appropriate sentiment is to honor him. There will be time for the other legacy analysis.

I think that what surprises me is that I never really knew that people intensely disliked the person of John Paul II. I disagreed with him on a bunch, bunch of things, but I liked, loved and respected the man. I just assumend everyone else, who had disagreements with him felt that way.