What are some of the challenges John Paul II faced during his time as pope?

Answer 1

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Pope John Paul II achieved many things over his long papacy. It is in the area of human sexuality that he struggled and ultimately failed. He asserted that people with homosexual inclinations possess the same inherent dignity and rights as everybody else but defended the Church's moral opposition to same-sex marriage, an idea on which the Church is increasingly out of step with the world around it.

Catholics may be tolerant of homosexual unions, but they are alarmed at reports of paedophilia within the very Church itself. John Paul II has been criticised for not recognising the full severity of the sex abuse problem and in not providing leadership until late.

Reports say he hindered the investigation into the charges of sexual immorality levelled against Father Marcial Maciel Degollado and hindered Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) who allegedly was attempting to prevent sex abuse. John Paul II allowed diocesan bishops to continue to transfer pedophile priests from one parish to another instead of reporting their crimes to the authorities, and provided safe haven for several of the most egregiously negligent prelates. Cardinal Bernard Law, who had been forced to testify before a grand jury concerning his gross negligence in failing to address rampant homosexual predation of young boys by priests in the Archdiocese of Boston was offered a prime position in the Vatican, out of reach of the secular authorities.

Answer 2

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The papacy of John Paul II occurred at the time when rampant paedophilia in the Catholic Church was at last becoming publicly known. John Paul's greatest challenge was to excise this evil from the Church, a challenge he failed, as the evidence shows.

John Paul II has been criticised for not recognising the full severity of the sex abuse problem and in not providing leadership until late. Reports say he hindered the investigation into the charges of sexual immorality levelled against Father Marcial Maciel Degollado and hindered Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) who allegedly was attempting to prevent sex abuse. The pope allowed diocesan bishops to continue to transfer pedophile priests from one parish to another instead of reporting their crimes to the authorities, and provided safe haven for several of the most egregiously negligent prelates. Cardinal Bernard Law, who had been forced to testify before a grand jury concerning his gross negligence in failing to address rampant homosexual predation of young boys by priests in the Archdiocese of Boston was offered a prime position in the Vatican, out of reach of the secular authorities.

Answer 3

A:

Pope John Paul II became pope when two great evils within the Catholic Church were becoming known. He had the responsibility to lead the Church out of this mire, but ultimately he failed.

John Paul II has been criticised for not recognising the full severity of the sex abuse cases until they erupted in America in 2002. It is said that he hindered the investigation into the charges of sexual immorality levelled against Father Marcial Maciel Degollado and allowed bishops to transfer paedophile priests from one parish to another instead of reporting their crimes to the authorities. John Paul is also accused of hindering Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who allegedly was attempting to prevent sex abuse.

Systemic corruption and financial malpractice at the highest levels within the Vatican also came to light during his watch, but far from showing leadership in dealing with these matters, he turned a blind eye.