JP II's 25th

A more or less nice summary of the Holy Father's papacy. However, like most of the secular media, the writer of this column can't resist displaying his utter ignorance of Catholicism.

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Under John Paul II, Rome has been unyielding in its opposition to birth control, the ordination of women and all forms of abortion. Changing attitudes in the West toward homosexuality, divorce and sex outside the bounds of marriage have done little to convince the pope to reconsider church teachings in those areas.

This paragraph appears to do two things. First, it takes a backhanded swipe at the pope for not "rolling with the times," and then it presumes that the pope can change Church doctrine whenever he well feels like it. The sad part of this, of course, is that a lot of American Catholics actually believe this.

In recent years, a widening scandal over sexual abuse and criminal sexual conduct by American priests finally got the pope's attention.

Finally got his attention? I guess for media folk, you're ignoring a problem until you say something to them about it. What arrogance.

Countless public opinion polls on the pontiff and his policies have come to the same conclusion: People love the pope, while disagreeing with much of his doctrine.

Policies?! His doctrine?! This sentence pretty much confirms how ignorant this writer is about the Catholic faith. More importantly, though, it provides a great example of how Americans have a great tendency to impose worldly standards to things that are not of this world.

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