Molly, I was actually trying to summarise what Jennifer was saying, not stating a personal position. Having said that I think you would be brave to describe someone like the Pope as being "ignorant about women and their position in the world". Interestingly he was so attached to Marian worship that the story goes he was going to make her "co-redemptress" with Christ but was dissuaded by Cardinal Ratzinger.

I am not Roman Catholic. I have never and will never be. I disagree with the presumption of the RC priesthood to interfere in the matters of the private lives of their congregants and find something quite sinister in the idea of absolution of sins based on confession to a priest and simply uttering a few Hail-Marys.

For those of you who are interested in this Pope, a man I believe of genuine (if misplaced) conviction and belief, whose beliefs I obviously disagree with, I offer you this link.

A counter view of him and what he achieved.

http://www.counterpunch.org/connolly04052005.html

I believe any church meddling in the affairs of the secular state is a dangerous thing, be it of a Roman Catholic, fundamentalist Protestant or Muslim source. The Roman Catholic “priest class” did, for so many centuries wield power on an enormous scale, a power maintained by the systematic application of terror against its own congregants and “heretics” alike.

This articles title "The Pope Who Revived the Office of the Inquisition" is chilling reminder of what "Roman Catholicism" was and can be about.

The decline and demise of ALL religious authority is long overdue and the world will be a better place when it is free of the insidious influences which they still attempt to exercise.

Credit may be due Pope John Paul II on some counts - eg, his role in the collapse of the communist bloc, his influence in bringing many young people to the church - but he failed miserably in other areas. He must be held accountable for abdicating his responsibility to protect children within the church from paedophile priests by failing to remove bishops and cardinals who knowingly protected those priests from discovery and prosecution. Hardly protecting the weak. He also steadfastly refused to consider any non-dogmatic positions on key social topics such as birth control, divorce, female clergy, celibacy, and homosexuality. His ultraconservative positions on these issues - in direct opposition to those espoused by John Paul I - drove many people away from the church. Whilst travelling the world cultivating Vatican influence with the powerful, he also cultivated a Vatican deficit in excess of $200 million. This pope was more interested in the primacy of the church than he was in protecting the weak and powerless.

It would appear that all you anti-papists think that the Church has Jedi like mind control over those who, in varying degrees, give assent to the Catholic faith. Get out of bed or stay asleep, but don't keep on with this sleep walking attitude that 'my' actions are stiffled by the Pope' convictions & leadership.

As you all appear to be clearly rejecting JP II's message, what are you worried about? Get ye to the bowels of Africa and stop those mercenaries and warlords and then I may respect you for your actions rather than empty words. Meanwhile, I'll keep praying for Church & UN staff prepared to risk their lives to bring some level of civilisation to the people of Dafur etc.