In spite of Johnson's best efforts to persuade readers otherwise, the two Popes are about as alike as chalk and cheese. John Paul II erased the modifications and pushed Catholics back several centuries. Pope John was truly and obviously loving. There is one priest per 1,150 Catholics in the U.S., and the average age is over 55. And, speaking kindly, the quality isn't there at all.
Catholics still await change.
A strong ideological bias runs through Johnson's piece and thereby compromises it. His contempt for the Second Vatican Council is barely disguised, and his meanspirited portrayal of Pope Paul VI as a weak leader who allowed the church to plunge itself into chaos is a low point of the essay. We continue to live in the era of the Second Vatican Council, which is a constant point of reference and guidance for Pope John Paul II and the entire Catholic Church. It might improve his chances of retaining gainful employment two years from now. It is most depressing to see the President and the congressional leaders of both parties selling the country for votes.