FEB. 2, 2005

FAITH LEADERS
The reign of Pope John Paul II

The reign of Pope John Paul II has been so remarkable and so long - more than a quarter century, the third-longest in history-that many Catholic leaders have pushed to grant him the honorific title of "John Paul the Great." Only two or three pontiffs out of 264 popes have ever been given such an honor, and none in more than 1,000 years, which gives a sense of the popular views of John Paul's impact. His influence has been felt both within the Catholic Church and outside the church, particularly in international politics and in interfaith relations. This edition of ReligionLink offers background and sources for assessing John Paul's pontificate.

• For background and sources on papal transitions, see a ReligionLink issue on "A handbook on Pope John Paul II and Electoral politics at the Vatican"

• Read headlines from the closing days of Pope John Paul II's reign in our daily archives.

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Biographical information
Angles for reporters
Polls on the Pope
National sources
Regional sources

Biographical information

HIS LIFE
• The Vatican's official Web site has an exhaustive index (in English and several other languages) that contains links to John Paul's biography and to other information about his reign.
• For a summary profile of the pope's life read a Catholic News Service biography by John Thavis.
• For a detailed chronology of major events and important dates in the pope's life, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a site with helpful links.
• The PBS program Frontline has an extensive gallery of information about John Paul.
• CNN has a detailed interactive Web site with useful information and summaries.

LEADING BIOGRAPHIES
• Witness to Hope (HarperCollins, 1999) by George Weigel, is the closest thing to an "authorized" biography that the pope ever granted.
• Pope John Paul II: The Biography (Simon & Schuster, 1995) by Tad Szulc is particularly good on the pope's Polish roots and his early travels to his then-communist homeland as pontiff.
• Man of the Century: The Life and Times of Pope John Paul II (Henry Holt & Company, 1997) by Jonathan Kwitny, is considered a wide-ranging overview. It includes critiques as well as compliments.
• His Holiness: John Paul II and the History of Our Time (Penguin Books, reprint edition, 1997) by Carl Bernstein and Marco Politi combines the talents of one of the Watergate reporters and one of Italy's leading Vatican experts. The biography drew much attention for its claim of a secret alliance between the pope and the Reagan administration to win the Cold War.

HIS WRITINGS AND HIS REIGN
A pope leaves his legacy in his writings as much as his personality. One Italian newspaper estimated on John Paul's 25th anniversary that he had produced more than 18 million words - 22 times the length of the King James Bible - in more than 15,000 documents and speeches.
• Find a list of John Paul's 14 encyclicals, which are the most authoritative documents a pontiff can issue, plus a list of other selected documents, on the site of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
• For a list of all the pope's speeches and writings, generally organized by year, try the Vatican web site's on the pope. (See links on the left.)
• John Paul was unparalleled at "making saints," as the phrase has it, having canonized more saints - nearly 500 as of 2004 - than all of his predecessors combined, who "made" some 300 saints all told. The U.S. bishops' site lists the canonizations by years as well as beatifications, which is the penultimate step to sainthood.

Angles for reporters

There are so many issues and events that John Paul affected that it is useful to group them into two major categories: issues affecting the Catholic Church internally, and issues affecting the political and religious world outside Catholicism. Many of these issues will naturally have interconnections.

INSIDE THE CHURCH

A Polish Pope
While John Paul has generally been cast as a champion of tradition and orthodoxy, the very fact of his 1978 election was a revolution of sorts. As a Pole, he was the first-non-Italian pontiff in more than 450 years and the first Slavic pope ever. His frequent travels were groundbreaking, and many observers say he transformed the papal office from that of an "overseer" to more of an overtly evangelizing presence-a kind of Catholic Billy Graham. Observers also note that in an encyclical on ecumenism, Ut Unum Sint, John Paul surprised many tradition-minded Catholics by inviting a debate on the role of the pope, which he recognized as a common impediment to ecumenical dialogue.

Pope on the move
John Paul's travels outside Rome have been unprecedented for a pontiff, and are a hallmark of his papacy. At the time of his 25th anniversary as pontiff, it was estimated that he had traveled more than 700,000 miles to 129 different countries on more than 100 journeys outside of Italy. Before John Paul, and his predecessor Paul VI, popes rarely ventured beyond the walls of the Vatican. Experts argue that this revolutionized the papacy, turning the pope into a global statesman-and a celebrity. The Vatican web site includes information on the pope's travels, and the U.S. bishops' site also has an index of his trips outside Italy and, specifically, his visits to the United States.

Catholic, with a small "c"
Pope John Paul II has been a great promoter of what the church calls "enculturation"-that is, adapting the church's rites and liturgies, if not its teachings, to various cultures. That strategy proved a wise one for Rome under John Paul, as Catholicism continued a massive demographic shift from Europe - historic Christendom - to developing countries. Catholics in Africa grew to well over 100 million during his reign, and more than 40 percent of Catholics now live in Latin America. Likewise, the College of Cardinals that will elect his successor grew ever more international, as the number of Italian cardinal-electors diminished while cardinals from the developing world increased. All this came as religious practice in Europe continued to decline. Experts say that while John Paul's vocal advocacy of human rights and social justice made him a hero in the developing world, his refusal to allow the church or its leaders to become directly involved in political movements sparked tensions and frustration for many Catholics in those same areas. The shift in Catholic demographics also sets up a scenario, observers say, in which the choice of the next pope will come down to a choice between a cardinal who represents the Southern Hemisphere and its millions of poor but devout Catholics, or one from the Northern Hemisphere, where there is great wealth but less religious observance.

Roman Catholic, American Catholics
During John Paul's tenure the number of Catholics in the United States has grown about 30 percent, from just under 50 million to more than 65 million. Yet his flock also continued to grow more restless, and even disillusioned. Experts say the early years of John Paul's reign were marked by controversies and tensions with the American hierarchy and church leaders in the United States. Vatican efforts to rein in bishops and theologians who were seen as too liberal led to many headlines and books on the growing split between Rome and America. But experts say John Paul's great personal popularity has largely overshadowed those conflicts for the average Catholic, and as he grew older American Catholics also tended to see him as an avuncular presence, more than as a taskmaster.

Then the clergy sexual abuse scandal hit like a whirlwind in 2002, and suddenly the pope's own popularity took a hit, as well as his track record. Several bishops were removed - including his point man in the United States, Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston - and the American church he largely shaped suffered its worst crisis of credibility in history. Experts say the abuse crisis not only tarnished John Paul's image, but it also exposed pre-existing rifts between what the pope preached and how Catholics behaved on a wide variety of issues, from birth control to abortion to gay marriage and other matters. Moreover, they say the scandal and resulting disillusionment with the institutional church that John Paul championed also contributed to a sense that Catholics would continue to go their own way on moral questions. That is the exact opposite of what John Paul wanted.

A return to tradition and orthodoxy
John Paul has strongly emphasized the need for Catholicism to return to its roots, which experts saw as a trend towards conservatism and which sparked a number of polarizing debates in the church. Many liberal and moderate Catholics were alienated by his policies, but others saw his papacy as a natural reassessment period after the great reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Debates over liturgy, the role of lay people in ministry and worship, the bar on women from the priesthood, the disciplining of theologians, the Catholic identity of church universities, the enforcement of Catholic sexual teaching, among other issues, all became battlegrounds. Many experts view all of these debates through the lens of authority and how it is exercised in the church - from Rome, as John Paul would have it, or in a more decentralized way, as others would like.

The priesthood
John Paul has been a great champion of the all-male, celibate priesthood. But in spite of his encouragement, vocations have continued to erode, especially in relation to the world's Catholic population, which increased 40 percent during his tenure, topping 1.1 billion. The clerical sexual abuse scandals that shadowed the latter stages of his reign also contributed to a growing ferment on issues regarding the priesthood. Issues of optional celibacy and women's ordination were at the forefront of Catholic debates toward the end of his papacy, as they were at the beginning.

OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

Papal statesman
John Paul's impact in international affairs has been obvious and profound. His visits to his native Poland and his support for the Solidarity trade union are universally considered as major factors in the collapse of Soviet communism. He is considered one of the foremost defenders of human rights and advocates for social justice, though experts say those messages did not receive nearly as much attention in the United States as they did in the developing world, where John Paul is enormously popular. The pope has often been critical of United States foreign policy, especially in the post-Cold War era when America was the lone superpower. He denounced the United States' war in Iraq. Depending on the administration in the White House, the Vatican either worked with - or against - U.S. interests on population control issues in United Nations meetings in Mexico City, Cairo and Beijing. Experts also point out that for all of his global successes, travels and popularity, John Paul never visited Russia and China.

The modern world
The pope is a philosopher as well as a theologian, and a poet and dramatist as well. Papal experts say his efforts to engage the debate between religion and the modern world will be a signal legacy. The pope sees no conflict between faith and reason and believes they should be complimentary. But experts say John Paul dislikes much that he sees in modernism, especially when the fall of Soviet communism led to what he saw as rampant materialism and secularism. The pope considers those trends - often associated with the industrialized West - as problems every bit as dangerous as Marxism.

Ecumenism
While John Paul is known as a great promoter of Catholicism, he has continued and often amplified the ecumenical (inter-Christian) policies of his immediate predecessors. John Paul held prayer services with other Christian leaders wherever he traveled. He was the first pope to visit Canterbury Cathedral, seat of the Anglican Communion, and he promoted dialogues with Protestantism, frequently apologizing for the sins of the past against reformers. While he made groundbreaking visits to Eastern Orthodox churches, he was not able to thaw entirely the chilly relations with the Orthodox, who he considered the "other lung" of Christianity. In fact, experts say the collapse of the Soviet empire and the resurgence of nationalism and the suppressed Orthodox churches may have contributed to a worsening of Catholic-Orthodox relations.

Interfaith relations
John Paul's efforts in the arena of interfaith relations have been extraordinary, even though a debate remains over their effect. He was the first pontiff to visit a synagogue (1986) and a mosque (2001). He reached out to leaders of all the major religions, and the Dalai Lama was a frequent visitor to the Vatican. John Paul hosted two interfaith prayer services in 1986 and 2001 at Assisi with the leaders of the major world religions that were emblematic of this push. Experts say John Paul's efforts to forge bonds with the Muslim world were less successful than his attempts to heal divisions between Catholics and Jews. Most Jewish leaders recognize John Paul as a historic figure in this regard, even though experts in both camps say that for all the progress, many issues remain.

Polls on the Pope

• A May 2004 Gallup analysis (subscribers only) looked at long-term trends in the pope's approval ratings. It coincided with John Paul's 84th birthday.
• A Nov. 10, 2003 America story includes findings from a Washington Post/ABC News poll and CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll, both taken to coincide with the pontiff's 26th anniversary in October. The Washington Post/ABC News poll showed strong support for the pope in general, but many disagreements with him among American Catholics-and moreso among non-Catholics-on specific issues. The CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll (subscriber only) showed most American Catholics approving of his performance, but a growing number expressing their disenchantment. Much of the downward trend was chalked up to the clerical sexual abuse scandals.

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National sources
• The Rev. Richard P. McBrien is a noted author/editor (the Encyclopedia of Catholicism and other works), commentator and professor of theology at Notre Dame. He is insightful and knowledgeable about the politics and history of the church and the papacy. Contact 574-631-5151, rmcbrien@nd.edu.
• The Rev. Thomas Reese is editor of America magazine, author of Inside the Vatican and the leading political scientist of the church. He is widely quoted and can be reached through America's editorial office, 212-515-0105, americaeditor@americamagazine.org.
• George Weigel is an orthodox-minded Catholic theologian and author at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., where he is a senior fellow. His biography of John Paul, Witness to Hope (HarperCollins, 1999), is essentially the authorized biography of this papacy. Weigel can be contacted through his assistant, Carrie Gress, at 202-682-1200 ext. 218, cgress@eppc.org.
• The Rev. Michael A. Fahey is a professor of theological studies at Marquette University in Milwaukee. He is an expert on the history and office of the papacy, and papal elections. Contact 414-288-3164, michael.fahey@marquette.edu.
• The Rev. Robert Wister is a leading expert on the history of the papacy. He is an associate professor of church history at Immaculate Conception School of Theology at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, and he is Faculty Fellow in the school of diplomacy and international relations at Seton Hall. He earned a doctorate in church history at the Gregorian University in Rome. Contact 973-761-9000 ext. 2048, wisterro@shu.edu.
• Sister Mary Johnson is an associate professor of sociology and religious studies at Emmanuel College in Boston who has given guest lectures in Australia, Europe and North America on Catholicism. She is a co-author of Young Adult Catholics: Religion in the Culture of Choice (University of Notre Dame Press, 2001) and is writing a book on Catholic religious orders. Contact 617-735-9830, johnsmb@emmanuel.edu.
• Helen Alvare is an associate professor of law at Catholic University of America Law School. She has a master's in theology and is the former spokesperson for the United States Bishops Office on Pro-Life issues. Cq Contact 202-319-5146, alvare@cua.edu.
• Philip A. Cunningham is a theology professor at Boston College and executive director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. The center is "devoted to the multifaceted development and implementation of new relationships between Christians and Jews that are based not merely on toleration but on full respect and mutual enrichment." Cunningham is an expert on the Catholic Church's dialogues with Judaism under John Paul. Contact 617-552-6027, Philip.Cunningham.1@bc.edu.
• The Rev. Richard John Neuhaus is the founder and editor of First Things, a monthly journal promoting orthodox religious thought. Neuhaus, himself a convert from the Lutheran church, launched an initiative called "Catholics and Evangelicals Together" with the evangelist Chuck Colson, to try to close the historic gulf between the two groups. Neuhaus is very familiar with John Paul's thinking, especially on ecumenism. Contact at 212-627-1985, ft@firstthings.com.
• John L. Allen Jr., is the Rome correspondent for National Catholic Reporter, a leading national Catholic weekly. He is the author of All the Pope's Men: The Inside Story of How the Vatican Really Thinks (Doubleday, 2004) and Conclave: The Politics, Personalities, and Process of the Next Papal Election (Image Books, 2002). He is considered a top Vaticanologist. Contact by email at Jallen@natcath.org.
• Eugene Kennedy is a Religion News Service columnist and longtime observer of the Roman Catholic Church who believes the church needs to go in a more reformist direction. He is professor emeritus of psychology at Loyola University in Chicago and author of several books, including The Unhealed Wound: The Church and Human Sexuality (St. Martins Press, 2001). He can be reached at his home in Florida, 941-598-3441, e.c.kennedy@worldnet.att.net.