I don’t know if he actually said it or if the author has made this implication.
I can say that I am not fond of this pope, however I am not a rock solid Catholic either, so I would take my comment with a grain of salt on this.
I know what you mean. John Paul is hard to follow. He wasn’t afraid of the world and did not let the press manage him. That being said, we were in different times. Reagan was in the white house and America was standing tall and proud. Now it’s hard to find anything to be proud of. Evil seems to be rampant and accepting evil is encouraged and almost forced.
I am not Catholic but I have attended with my Catholic angel of a wife for over 30 years and I think it has made me a better person and given me faith.