Summary
AROUND the world the passing of Pope John Paul II has been marked by an extraordinary outpouring of affection and respect. No other world leader, and certainly no politician, has come to inspire such admiration. His loss is mourned, not only by 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, but also by many millions of others who felt his presence. Indeed, of all the tributes being paid, arguably the most moving are from those of other religious faiths - Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims - for whom John Paul II was seen as a friendly spirit who made an effort to reach out in peace.
For the Catholic Church, this is a near impossible act to follow. Karol Wojtyla from Cracow in then communist Poland became the world's most famous man and an extraordinarily successful pope across a 27-year reign. Indeed, it would be tempting to think, particularly in the period of mourning, that here is a united, monolithic Church with no serious divisions to speak of. But this is not the case. One of the outstanding qualities of this papacy was the prevention of the eruption of hostilities between liberals and traditionalists that have so enfeebled the Anglican Church in recent years. It is not that these divisions do not exist so much that the persona of this papacy contributed much to keeping them under control.See the full content of this document
Extract
Leader: A Difficult Act to Follow
That said, Pope John Paul was widely seen as a conservative, defending the right to life and adhering to theological orthodoxy. Liberals were aghast at the reversing of freedoms won as a result of the Second Vatican Council.
Nor a...See the full content of this document
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