I'm not a big fan of Vatican II, but I have no doubt that Pope John Paul II was nothing other than a devout, faithful servant of the Lord. His love of our Lady has always made my heart smile and I have no doubt he is with her in God's kingdom.
I've never, ever blamed him for the errors in the church as what is meant to be is meant to be and was out of his hands.
Ecclesiastes 3:3
1 All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to destroy, and a time to build.
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
6 A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
8 A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What hath man more of his labour?
10 I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it.
I'm grateful that we had him to lead the church during these troubled times. Thank you LORD!
One could also look at the entire canvas of JPII's pontificate as a constant clash between his own wishes and God's demands on him.
His ambiguity about the consecration of Russia. His devaluing of the papacy in lieu of collegiality. And also his reliance on his own personal charisma which he allowed to overshadow his Holy Office are evidence of this.
It could be argued that God, as is often his method allowed him to reap what he sowed. He wouldn't discipline his modernist bishops, so the scandals rocked the Church and his political credibility was shot. His policy of ecumenism has lead to nothing but scorn from other false religions and indifference among the faithful and syncretism among his bishops.
He relied on his personal vigor instead of the papal charisma and God allowed his health and vitality to be taken from him. Because he was unwilling to speak clearly about Catholic doctrine unashamedly, it could be supposed that God took his power of eloquence and speech from him.
I hate the idea, but I question the heroic virtue and the faithfulness of someone who did so little to correct the errors going on in the Church. Who did so much to lower the status of the Church and her prerogatives. Rarely have we seen in history someone given so much and having done so little in the end. As a childhood friend of mine said who is not a particularly devout Catholic, (someone still struggling with faith) "How can someone who speaks so many languages say so little ?"
Canonization? I don't think so. He was almost the exact opposite of St. Pius X. One of the rarest of breeds, a sainted Pope of modern times. Once a person compares these two papacies, it becomes obvious that St. Pius was "the Great" and JPII was a disappointing papacy.
Where St. Pius X was clear and used plain language that can still be understood, JPII was confused and almost Clintonesque in his vagueries. Where St. Pius taught, JPII confused.
Where St. Pius X lowered himself humbly and exalted the papacy, JPII lowered the papacy and exalted himself. St. Pius X forbade applause for him and JPII always reveled in the "chants" and "slogans" for him.
Where St. Pius X is known to have performed numerous miracles (His famous quote,"They want miracles from me? As if I don't have enough to do already!" was shortly followed by some of the most miraculous healings in the history of the Church) he said it was not him but only "the power of the Keys."
JPII left those Keys in his pocket and preferred dialogue. And he was loathe to assume his station as he hid his pectoral cross at inter-religious gatherings for fear that Jesus would "offend" his guests. St. Pius X loathed the pomp and circumstance personally but knew the significance of what it meant to the papacy.
(as an aside, the beehive tiara and the robes of the Pope and the sedia gestatoria were all there to subdue the man and exalt the office of the Pope, that's why you can spot the Pope in the paintings and not even know the man. Photos of Pius X, XI XII and even despite his girth, John XXIII all look the same from a distance, giving the perpetual quality of the papacy a physical significance)
Looking at the pictures of St. Pius X on his deathbed, his youth restored on his face as he passed, crucifix in his hands from when he'd kissed it that last time, I can't help but compare it with the tortured and anguished look of JPII, his illusions never realized, dreams unfufilled, mission unaccomplished.
I can only pray that in those final weeks and hours he realized where he'd missed the mark as he wept bitter tears at Lourdes some months before his death and repented.