| | National Catholic Reporter: Obituary of Pope John Paul II (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-11) |
 | | John Paul II was a stunningly successful historical actor; biographer Jonathan Kwitny once called him “the man of the century.” In an age in which institutional religion was supposed to be sliding toward extinction, he applied the force of his enormous personality to revitalizing it. |
 | | John Paul remained anti-American on questions of war and peace, critical of the U.S. role as global arms salesman, and was appalled at what Americans do with their wealth. |
 | | Whatever may be said publicly, John Paul II did not endear himself to some of his brother bishops, either in the exercise of “collegiality” or in the way in which he permitted some Vatican Congregations in particular, and the Roman curia in general, to deal with them. |
| www.nationalcatholicreporter.org /update/conclave/jp_obit_main.htm (8800 words) |