Powerful Pope

To the Editors:

At this crucial, life-and-death time for the church, when the purification process is so desperately needed, there bursts upon the world from the prison of Poland a powerful, electrifying personality, a man who is all heart, soul, guts and steely courage, John Paul II [Oct. 15].

Aileen Mary Rankin Merritt Island, Fla.

John Paul II: he came, he saw, he conquered--and America will never be the same.

Sheila Madden Providence Thank you, TIME, for supercoverage of a superstar whose love has made our hearts soar with joy like a bird in flight, like a child on a Christmas night. Dzie-kuje [Thank you] John Paul II!

Linda Peterson Schaumburg, III.

Man of the Year--Pope John Paul II.

No contest.

Mary Campbell Stewart Montgomery, Ala.

For his stand on contraception, divorce and the ordination of women, I nominate Pope John Paul II for Man of the Year ... the year 1579.

Malcolm Davis Weston, Ont.

No man who opposes birth control in this day and age can expect to be taken seriously.

Mark Warda Clearwater, Fla.

As an American Catholic, I am proud and happy that the visit of Pope John Paul II was a success. I am troubled, though. It is relatively easy to condemn materialism, totalitarianism, torture and repression. Political leaders, however, must follow up their words with specific programs. Will John Paul II be more successful than Jimmy Carter in pursuing these goals?

Andrea VanSant Berlin, N.J.

Regardless of disgruntled women, unhappy "dedicated" priests, confused married couples, young people struggling with these liberal times, don't we all admit that deep in our hearts there was a wistful longing for the goodness and peace that we saw in that wonderfully kind, wise and humorous face?

Mildred Ralston Pomona, Calif.

Mexico's Black Gold

President Carter claims that the troubled and uncertain times between the U.S. and Mexico are gone forever [Oct. 8]. Presumably there will be no trouble from the American side toward Mexico as long as Mexico has black gold.

Arshad M. Siddigi Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

In "Mexico's Macho Mood," there is the all too familiar reference to illegal aliens from Mexico. If these people did not find employment north of the border, they would not come. So if we truly want to face up to the problem, we will search out and fine the employers.

If there is a legitimate need for the labor of these workers, the laws should be modified to permit their importation on a temporary permit, with the employer required to post bond to guarantee their return to Mexico after the need is past.

Charles E. Ballard Evansville, Ind.

Anti-Catholicism

In his Essay "Rise and Fall of Anti-Catholicism" [Oct. 15], Lance Morrow stated that contemporary anti-Catholicism arises from its opposition to the idea of a natural moral law rather than our current moral relativism. His assessment is totally accurate. He has perceived something that a lot of professionals have missed in discussing the issue.

(The Rev.) James Fannan Newark, Ohio

I have a feeling the average North American Catholic doesn't give a hoot what the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod thinks of the Pope. He is not their church leader. Let them look to Martin Luther as the Antichrist.

Leah M. Daly St. Clair Shores, Mich.

The argument that the real conflict is between religion and humanism is especially true. It's too bad the trend now is to judge by human standards instead of God's. People are prone to set standards for themselves that are too often influenced by greed, dishonesty, selfishness, etc., whereas God's standards are not affected by any of these vices.

Peter James Rudy Midland, Mich.

Lance Morrow's article on bigotry does not really level with Protestants. Bigotry began with the great Inquisition of a few centuries ago, during which Christians who didn't believe what the Popes ordained were killed. Personally I think John Paul is the first real Bible-believing Pope. He didn't say anything that Dwight L. Moody and Billy Graham have not been saying for years. Hooray for him!

Ed Bruning Bartlett, Ill.

The Catholic hierarchy has not incurred the wrath of the secular humanists merely over the argument of whether moral law is relative or absolute. The underlying cause of the bitterness is the church's insistence on calling those who do not agree with it evil and immoral.

Stacy Seldin Flushing, N. Y.

Gitmo

Your article "The Good Life at Gitmo" [Oct. 15] was rather short. If you had written about the miserable life on Guantanamo Bay, it would have been substantially longer. It might have mentioned such problems as the unavailability of supplies, fresh produce and clothing, and low morale. I don't agree with you totally that the serviceman is reluctant to leave after completion of assignment because of the base services and freshwater sports. My conclusion, after talking to my peers during a year at Gitmo, is that, whatever the discomforts, they would rather do a tour of duty on land than at sea!

Robert Waterman Phoenix

Carter's defusing action on the Cuban crisis reminds me of the gent who, finding the milkman in bed with his wife, ran outside and kicked the milkman's horse.

Jan A. Verlaan Pensacola, Fla.

It is comforting to know that President Carter has at last adopted the Teddy Roosevelt policy of diplomacy with a big stick, even though it is only a toothpick.

Lin Cutler New Haven, Conn.

Let it go down in history as the "Cuban fizzle crisis."

Ralph L. Kleinman Whittier, Calif.

You state correctly: "U.S. forces landed there in 1898 to help the Cubans overthrow their Spanish rulers, and stayed for good." But then you say: "The U.S. controls Guantanamo Bay ... under a perpetual lease negotiated with the Republic of Cuba in 1903." No one, most Americans will agree, "negotiates" perpetual leases allowing foreign military bases on lome territory. Cubans were robbed of their revolution and denied self-determination, sadly, by the largest "democracy" at the time.

Ramon Bueno Brighton, Mass.

Voluntary Leisure

Letter Writer William N. Thompson [Oct. 15] says, quite insultingly, that "a healthy [worker] voluntarily living on a pension financed for the most part by today's productive workers is living on welfare ... If a person freely chooses leisure, he should not expect the productive working force to pay for it." I am going to voluntarily choose leisure next spring because there are other things I want to do, but it will be paid for by my money, the Social Security salary deductions I have been paying since the program started in the 1930s. How dare he!

Henry G. Evans Vienna, Mo.

William N. Thompson's suggestion is both callous and incorrect. A few years ago, early retirement was pushed as a solution for unemployment. An unemployed young person is also costly to society. The culprit is inflation. When our Government balances the budget, inflation can be brought under control and hard-earned pensions can be enjoyed by retirees.

Dale Kile Liberal, Kans.

Old Ironsides

The oldest ship in the U.S. Navy is not the destroyer tender Dixie, a mere 40 years old [Oct. 15]. The U.S.S. Constitution, permanently docked here in Boston, is 182 years old and still a commissioned ship. Old Ironsides is to this day staffed and maintained by the Navy.

Carol Erenrich Brookline, Mass.

Unmentionable Incident?

There is absolutely no reason for Jimmy Carter or any other presidential candidate to apologize for raising the matter of Chappaquiddick vis-a-vis Senator Kennedy [Oct. 8].

To the contrary. Chappaquiddick is as much a part of Senator Kennedy's background as is the date of his birth Considering its implications, it merits serious discussion and consideration.

George H. Ebner Mechanicsburg, Pa

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