This to me was one of the worst moments in the papacy of JPII.
However, I think he may have been mislead. He was older at the time and perhaps he thought this was a copy of the Gospels or the OT given to him as a sign of respect. Or he may have been a victim of what another writer referred to as "sentimental ecumenism," that is, we all believe in some kind of God, so yours is as good as mine. JPII was the pope of the scandalous Assisi conferences, after all, so perhaps this was part of his thinking.
In any case, the writer was on target: this was not an official statement of any kind, it was probably a misguided gesture of kindness, and we should not obssess on it.
Ya know, it's a good point that not every gesture is made as an official statement of doctrine. Ever been to a baseball game against the Blue Jays or the Expos? Did you stand for their national anthem? Did you consider that you were pledging allegiance to a foreign power? Did you intend by doing that to turn your back on the founding fathers, and the government they created? Did you intend to renounce your citizenship and instead become a Canadian?
I'm guessing your answers to the last five questions were all "no." Yet saluting a flag IS a sign of allegiance. signaling allegiance to a foreign power is considered an act of renouncing citizenship.
No, many Americans instinctively stand out of RESPECT for the Canadians they are among. Although the Canadians stand to demonstrate their allegiance, no such allegiance is meant by the American fans.