I personally have admired the Pope for many of his stands, but I may be guilty of grading on the curve based on the failings of many of the other "leaders" in Christianity today. Grading on the curve is usually a bad thing.
It's ok. I admire him for his stands against the Soviet Empire, homosexuality, and abortion, but those are more humanitarian things than anything else. Before being a world leader, the Pope should be a leader of the Church.