[marshmallow]

With John Paul II gone, you can be sure that many of the loonies will be wanting to scratch a 26-year itch. There will be a noticeable upsurge in calls for married and female clergy, re-thinking Church teaching on abortion and artificial contraception, homosexuality and all the other "key" issues which the dissidents hold dear.

Expect an increase in static from the usual agitators and troublemakers.

Pell is correct, though. Although JPII is gone, his legacy looms large and will do so for years to come. This is not like a change of secular government where a new administration completely changes the direction of the ship.

JPII has left his imprint on the Church for ever more.

[donbosco74]

It seems to me that those who are so eager to pronouce "John Paul The Great" might have a vested interest in the next pope being as clearly opposed to contraception, the "ordination" of women and homosexual "marriage" in the Church as was JPII. The reason I say this might not be obvious to the reader.

But then again, maybe it is. Let's see. If anyone thinks they can explain why the next pope could have an effect on whether "The Great" is a moniker that will endure for long with JPII, let him say why.