In my opinion, Giovanni Paulo II will go down as the best Pope since Giovanni XXIII and, on balance, one of the best Popes ever.
The following are just some personal ruminations and reflections as they prepare his farewell. If anyone has any insights or opinions to add, pro or con, please feel free to amplify and/or correct what I have written The pros: a) He completed the implementation of Vatican II b) He played a huge role, with Gorbachov and Reagan, in bringing down the Iron Curtain c) He built bridges to Catholics around the world, and to non-Catholics as well d) He respected other religions and taught Catholics to respect them as no Pope before him e) He was an uncompromising moral and spiritual leader who affirmed the "culture of life" f) He was just a great, down-to-earth, fun-loving guy The cons: However, he ignored many issues during his watch and left many practical problems in his wake, some for the next Pope to address: a) Church attendance and vocations have plummetted during his watch b) He was late in confronting the pedophile priest problem, especially in the US, and hasn't gone far enough in addressing the victims c) He did little to address the atrocities in Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra Leone & Sudan d) He did little to address the atrocities of Saddam Hussein, credited with a million dead Iraqis, Iranis and Kuwaitis, but opposed the US action to depose him by force e) He did little to address the Palestinian problem f) He criticized materialism and "runaway" capitalism, while presiding over the largest accumulation and display of material wealth in the world in the Vatican and in the diocese of Rome, ironically provided gratis by the sweat of Catholics worldwide, and a planet away from the poverty of Christ and of Mother Teresa and of many Catholics around the world.
