Pope on the Carpet in Guatemala  Arthur Melville I see it as a gross manipulation. Pope John Paul's apparently caring visit to Guatemala is an example of historic exploitation of poor, forgotten people, hungry to get some recognition. This man has never spoken to the struggle of the poor masses. This man has unconscionably condemned birth control — leading to unending poverty, sickness, and desperation. This man has been an ardent supporter of capitalism and its need for ever- expanding markets at any cost. He has supported the ruthless status quo of international corporations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, as well as, of course, the wealthy elite of Guatemala. Yet this man dares to speak to the poor of that country in the role of their loving spiritual father. This is the man who appoints bishops and cardinals of the most conservative tradition, who in turn give little or no recognition to the plight of the masses. This is the man who heads the church that for 500 years has supported military oppression and control in Latin America, a military that in recent years in Guatemala has taken over 100,000 lives and obliterated more than 400 villages. This military, in the name of Christian values, even today does not hesitate to torture and kill those who would simply advocate the exercise of human rights. The historic cause of such disaster is found in the prejudice propagated by the Catholic Church, the organization that declared the indigenous peoples of Latin America to be less than human, the same institution that has never taken responsibility for bringing slaves from Latin America to the Vatican. This man, the CEO of that organization, today dares to speak of peace and love to the present inheritors of the lineage of violent exploitation. Pitiful Pope John Paul, in his lack of sincere love for the poor, in his ignorance about the role of women, in his denial of the causes and source of poverty, as the purported representative of an all-loving God, pretends once again to be a teacher of justice and charity. Poor John Paul himself teetering at death's door, aware that his monolith of prejudice and violence is also close to death, is making a last appeal to Catholic values and beliefs. But beware, John Paul! The masses of poor of Guatemala, particularly the valiant Mayan people, in multiple organizations of mutual support, are taking a historic transformative role that will no longer be swayed by religious platitudes, no longer be suppressed by military might, and no longer be duped by foreign assistance programs. And we, believers in truth, representing all walks of life, including former priests and nuns, will do all that we can to support these heroic people, while not losing sight of the hypocritical powers of religious and political institutions that still claim title to their lives and their society. Arthur Melville is a practicing psychotherapist and a former Maryknoll missionary priest, who worked six years in the mountains of Guatemala. He wrote of his experiences in his recent book, With Eyes To See, A Journey from Religion to Spirituality available for $15.00 from Literary Resources, Box 3343, Long Beach, CA 90803.